Living in the Shade
by EmonyJade
Summary: Lord Nommi's plan was simple, since betrayal comes naturally to a Sith. Finding the light is much harder. Even with the help of a certain Cathar, the light may be beyond her reach.
1. Chapter 1

Greetings Star Wars Fans! This is my first attempt at writing a SWTOR fiction. (The game I am hopelessly addicted to, I might add!) have no idea what the community is like for these stories on this site, but thought I'd give it a whirl. This story really doesn't follow any storyline, but is based on the game and uses characters from multiple classes. I happen to have a weakness for Cathars, so I had to include Aric Jorgan. Anyway, enough of my ramblings. On with the show...

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Admiral Lorne Zorrig stood on the bridge of his Imperial star destroyer, the Doomsday, looking out over the world they were currently orbiting. The blue/green planet was actually quite beautiful, appearing quiet and peaceful when glimpsed from space. Completely ignorant to its fate. The settlement they were focusing their efforts on had little to no sensor technology. Certainly nothing that would detect an orbiting starship. There would be no warning. It was the perfect setup.

The Admiral had a slightly evil grin on his face. He enjoyed his work. Secretly, he hoped the war would never end. True, the war was now being fought in secret, thanks to the damned treaty, but they were still at war with the Republic and the Admiral liked it that way. You can not develop new and interesting ways of killing your enemies during peacetime. He continued to gaze out at the planet, enjoying the utter calm before the destruction. He lived for moments like this one.

"Any noise coming from the surface, ensign." Zorrig asked the young woman manning the terminal next to where he stood. She confidently pushed a few buttons, not even looking at her commanding officer. She and the admiral were the only two people on the bridge.

"Nothing, Sir. If they know we're up here, they're not talking about it. Space is equally as quiet."

Zorrig's grin perked up just a fraction. "Excellent. It would seem our intel on the primitive nature of the settlement was accurate. How long before the weapon is fully charged and ready to test?"

The young ensign leaned over to the screen next to hers, since the weapon controls were not at her current station. Most of the ship's functions could be monitored from her one station, thanks to the creative rewiring the ship had undergone before this mission, but not all of them. It was a great deal of work to run the bridge of a star destroyer singlehandedly, but the ensign didn't mind the extra effort.

She was very proud of her professionalism and ability to adapt to what the situation required. She was an ensign in the imperial navy and that meant something. She was young, even for an ensign, and was proud of her work, allowing her pride to show in her appearance, her voice and her manner. She was even more proud to have been chosen for this assignment. Star destroyers didn't run on skeleton crews very often, but then they did, only the best were allowed to stay onboard.

"Looks like we should be good to start the test in about 10 hours, as long as we can keep fully diverting all non essential power to the weapon."

Zorrig nodded approvingly. "Keep diverting the power from the main shields to the weapon as well and continue your sensor sweeps. If anything comes even close to us, raise shields. I want the weapon operational as fast as possible, but I do not wish to be blown out of the atmosphere, either. Also keep an eye out for Lord Nommi's ship. It should be arriving in a few hours. I will be in my quarters, inform me when our guests arrive."

"Yes, Sir." The ensign replied, continuing her work.

Zorrig turned and strolled off the bridge, leaving the ensign alone with her responsibilities. 10 hours was a long time to wait on a deserted ship and he desired some rest before the Sith arrived. Dealing with Force users could be tiring, though even he had to admit they had their uses. Fortunately, his current posting required very little interaction with the Sith and that suited the admiral just fine. He understood the need for the Sith, but it didn't mean he had to like them.

This mission was relatively low risk, considering only a very small handful of people even knew about the Empire's new toy. Construction had been slow, due to limited personnel for the actual build, but the General in charge of the project was not taking any chances. The project had been kept so secret, then even the Emperor himself and his dark council knew very little about it. This allowed Admiral Zorrig to work with only a skeleton crew, allowing as much power as possible to the weapon. Nothing was being wasted. Entire sections were totally locked down, with all environmental systems and life support shut off.

Zorrig honestly didn't know why the upper brass in charge of this project insisted on telling a Sith about the weapon or why that Sith needed to be involved with its testing, but Zorrig learned long ago not to question the motives of his superiors or the Sith. In his opinion, the Sith tended to stick their noses into affairs which were none of their concern, but he kept the opinion to himself. The Sith pretty much did what they liked, when they liked and arguing about it usually ended in death. Your death. The Admiral very much liked being alive.

This weapon could turn the tables of war in their favor, if it worked the way it should. A weapon that could target and vaporize only the humanoid life on a planet, leaving the cities, wildlife and vegetation untouch, had unlimited potential to the Empire. Having a couple of Sith around to fend off any Republic interference was not a bad idea, considering the limited number of soldiers onboard. Hopefully, however, the weapon's existence remained unknown to the enemy and the Sith would be required to do nothing more than enjoy the show.

To Be Continued...

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The next chapter will start to introduce the really important characters, but all stories have to start somewhere.

Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is up. Enjoy.

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Forge approached his master's chamber reluctantly. Lord Nommi was not the cruelest master to serve. In fact, Forge felt honored to be her apprentice, but that did not mean he enjoyed interrupting her meditation. Lord Nommi, like most Sith, had a mean streak you learned quickly to avoid, if you valued your life.

Fortunately for the young Sith, his master's chamber doors were open. He peaked in to see his master slowly extinguishing a series of candles on the small shelf next to her bed. He had to admit, his master was a very attractive woman, for being of mixed heritage. Forge had always had a thing for Cathars, but the blue skin she had inherited from her Chiss father, which made her white fur and slightly darker stripes look almost silver, was particularly appealing. Not that he would ever let her know of his attraction. The Sith Lord would probably kill him where he stood. You did not make advances on a female Sith. Waiting for them to make the first move was always the safer bet, particularly when the female Sith was stronger and higher in the pecking order.

Besides, his pure Sith blood ancestry required him to procreate with a proper pureblood Sith. It was fun to speculate what was under his master's robe, however. He was lucky that Sith could not read minds. Forge kept his thoughts and emotions in check anyway, just in case.

"Are we at our destination, apprentice?" Lord Nommi asked without turning around.

"Yes master." He replied, all thoughts returning to a more appropriate place. "We should be docking on the Doomsday in ten minutes."

Lord Nommi turned, her glowing red eyes showing little emotion. "Excellent. Make sure to express how critical it is for me to meet with Admiral Zorrig as soon as we land. There is little time to be wasted."

"As you wish, Master." Forge replied with a respectful bow, turning to return to the bridge. The young Sith may have fantasized about his master, but he would never be able to get past her eyes. Chiss eyes were often referred to as dead, or soulless. Lord Nommi's eyes were no exception. Being under her gaze was like having someone look into your soul, and Forge found it unnerving.

Nommi held her gaze at the door for a few more moments, then turned and extinguished the final candle. She opened her wardrobe and put on a long black robe, placing the hood gently over her head, concealing her face. She attached both her lightsabers to her belt, making sure the weight of her old friends settled comfortably on her hips. It had taken a long time for her to get accomplished with her sabers, and having them with her, even on her own ship, made her feel stronger and more in control.

The Sith Lord had been planning for this moment for months now, carefully organizing and carrying out every detail. All messages had been sent and all parties were, with any luck, in position. All she had to do now was carry out her part of the plan.

Nommi slowly made her way to the bridge, taking up her command seat and watched as Forge expertly navigated the small ship towards that steadily growing star destroyer. Her apprentice really was an exceptional pilot and was well on his way to becoming a powerful Sith. Under any other master, he would have eventually become a major player for the Empire. It was unfortunate he would most likely be dead within the day.

Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Lord Nommi knew this and felt no regret.

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To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Next chapter is up. This one is a quick one, but necessary. I'd put up another chapter today, but I'm just too tired to proof it. It sucks having to work for a living. Anyway, enough babbling from me. Enjoy.

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"Captain Jorgan, is Havoc squad ready for approach and infiltration?" Major Willow Deshan asked her second in command. The Major already knew the answer, since Aric Jorgan was not the type to leave anything unchecked. Every mission Havoc squad participated in was life or death and they all knew it. Thanks to Jorgan, the squad was always prepared. The Cathar was one of the best soldiers in the Republic.

"Yes Sir." Jorgan replied in his usual sharp manner. "Havoc is armed and ready to begin the operation once docking is complete."

"Excellent." Deshan replied. She turned to the two robed figures who had just emerged from the bridge. Jedi were not a normal part of her team, but the situation required their involvement. "Are you sure about this plan, Master Jedi?"

Jedi Master Jerel Dorr nodded. "As sure as I can be. It's a risk, taking the word of a Sith, but what choice do we have. If our contact is correct and the weapon the Empire is planning to test is truly on that star destroyer, we must destroy it before it can be used. We're talking about millions of lives on hundreds of planets. If this weapon can wipe out an entire population with a single shot, we have to stop it. Even if this is a trap, we can't take the risk."

"Agreed." The Major replied. Over the years, Deshan had learned to trust the Jedi. Their tactics were less aggressive than she usually liked, but they got results. "Havoc squad has gotten itself out of many traps over the years. We can handle anything that happens over there. Assuming the access point given to us is accurate and we don't get blown out of the sky." The Major's tone held a certain edge. She did not like going into a mission this blind.

"We're using the approach vector the Sith supplied. Trap or not, we'll know in 5 minutes. I doubt the Sith invited us out here just to blown us up." Padawan Hurrio said almost jokingly.

Master Jerel smiled at his new padawan's spirit. He was only now starting to learn the younger man's mannerisms, which were hard to read without eyes. Taking the Miraluka as a padawan forced the Jedi to realized just how much he used the eyes as tools to read people. It just proved that every Jedi had something new to learn, no matter how old and every new padawan taught his or her master, just as much as the master taught them. Such was the way of the Force.

"All I gotta say is, if this is a trap and there is more than a skeleton crew on that ship, this whole operation could get very messy." Jorgan commented, doing another quick check of his gear.

"We're about to find out." the Major replied, feeling a slight jolt as their ship landed in the star destroyer.

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To Be Continued...

Let me know what you think so far. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

Woo Hoo, I'm on a roll. 4 days and 4 chapters. Enjoy!

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"Are you sure about this, my Lord." Admiral Zorrig asked Lord Nommi as they made their way to the empty bridge. The Sith had, very confidently, announced that there were intruders onboard, having no evidence of an invasion beyond what can be felt through the Force. The admiral was skeptical. He trusted technology and his sensors weren't picking up anything.

"I am quite positive, Admiral. They gained access through the starboard side hanger. There are several soldiers and two Jedi. A master and a learner, I would think." The Sith gave a meaningful look to her apprentice, waving her arm towards a corridor to the right of the bridge. "My apprentice will take your men and deal with the intruders. All but the Master Jedi. He will come here and I will deal with him myself."

Reluctantly, Zorrig ordered his men to intercept the intruders, being lead out by the Sith Apprentice. This left the Admiral, the Sith and the young ensign alone on the bridge. The admiral silently cursed himself for agreeing to only bring a skeleton crew on the test mission. Having less crew onboard allowed more power to be diverted to charging the weapon, but it left them almost defenseless against an assault. There was also something fishy about the Sith's knowledge. She knew too much and was too confident, even for a Sith.

"How in the hell did they even get onboard?" The admiral asked no one in particular. Alarms began to blare around them, as the ship's sensors began to finally pick up the presence of the intruders.

"It's just as Lord Nommi said, they entered through the starboard side hanger. How they got in without the sensors picking them up, I have no idea, Sir. Everything is working properly." The ensign replied nervously, worrying she had missed something.

Before the mystery could be investigated any further, a lone figure casually stepped onto the bridge.

Master Jerel walked confidently towards the Sith, his lightsaber in hand, but not ignited. Admiral Zorrig pulled out his blaster, but Lord Nommi merely used the Force to return the weapon in its holster. If looks could kill, the Sith lord would be dead under the admiral's gaze.

"There is no need to draw your weapon, Admiral." She said calmly.

Zorrig gave her a look of confusion along with his anger, but did not fight her influence.

"I trust you found my directions most helpful, Master Jedi?" She asked, showing no emotion as she address the Jedi.

"You let them on my ship!" the Admiral demanded, trying again to draw this blaster. The action was interrupted by an invisible hand wrapping around his neck. He tried to remove the hand, but there was nothing to remove. With a flick of Lord Nommi's hand, there was a sickening crunch of bone and the admiral was dead. She turned to the ensign behind her, sending several powerful lightning bolts at the woman. She crumbled into a smoking heap, her career ending before I really began. She wasn't even able to draw her weapon.

The Jedi approached the Sith, his lightsaber still unignited.

"Killing them was unnecessary." He stated. The Jedi did not approve of the Sith's actions. Even if they were the enemy, no one deserved to die in such a manner.

Lord Nommi sighed, turning her attention away from the smoking remains of the ensign, to the Jedi. He was human and looked very much like every other Jedi she had encountered. He also had a judgmental expression on his face. "Perhaps, but this weapon is too dangerous to take the chance. I'm assuming your forces are sufficient to make short work of the Admiral's men?"

Jerel put this lightsaber back on his belt. "They are special forces. It shouldn't be a problem."

Suddenly, an invisible wave seemed to hit the Sith, knocking the wind out of her. She steadied herself on a nearby console. Jerel felt it, too, just not as strongly.

"It would seem the other Jedi has killed my apprentice." She stated, looking into Jerel's eyes. "His sacrifice is unfortunate. He could have been a very powerful Sith."

"Why?" Jerel asked, honestly confused by the Sith's actions. "Why kill every imperial on this ship, including your own apprentice, just to help the enemy destroy one of the greatest weapons ever built? Sith usually don't have much of a problem with mass slaughter."

Nommi smiled. "Because it was necessary." She looked out at the planet and was silent for several minutes. "This test was, how do you humans say it, the last straw. Do you know what this weapon was to be tested on, master Jedi?"

Jerel stepped up next to the Sith, looking out at the planet. He kept his senses attuned to the Sith, just incase she attacked, but he felt no fight in her. She was calm, at peace, even with all the death around her. But he could also feel a great conflict within her. As if there were two sides to her personality and they were each battling for control under her calm surface. "I was told it was a neutral settlement."

The Sith chuckled. "Not entirely correct. A settlement, yes, but neutral, not so much. The settlement is partially made up of neutral civilians, that is true, but also many refugees and escaped Imperial slaves. Innocent people, just trying to flee the Empire's rule. Women, children. Including many Cathar."

"So you did this out of compassion to your species?"

The sith turned and looked at the Jedi, her glowing red eyes leaving Jerel feeling slightly chilled.

"It's complicated, Master Jedi. I'm sure there will be plenty of time to go over my reasons during my interrogation."

The door on the far end of the bridge opened. Havoc squad entered cautiously, with Hurrio close behind, his emerald lightsaber still ignited. They raised their weapons toward the Sith, but Jerel lifted a hand to stop their advance.

"It's alright. This is the Sith who helped us get onboard. She is of no threat to us."

Hurrio put away his lightsaber, trusting his master's judgment, but the soldiers only put down their weapons, they did not put them away. You didn't get to be a member of the most decorated special forces unit in the Republic by being trusting.

"So, now what?" Asked Hurrio. The padawan stood next to his master, but couldn't turn his focus off of the Sith. The young Miraluka had only been off Tython for a few months and this was his first encounter with the dark side of the Force.

Lord Nommi smiled at Hurrio, obviously feeling the young Force user's uncertainty about her presence and enjoying his lack of comfort. "Now, my young Jedi, we set this ship to self destruct. I'm assuming your explosives expert brought a few charges to plant, just to be sure."

The Sith pulled her lightsabers from her robe, causing all of the soldiers to point their guns.

Ignoring the gesture entirely, she turned, holding the weapons out to Master Jerel. "I surrender to you. Do with me as you will."

Jerel took the weapons. "I accept your surrender."

Everyone seemed to relax marginally once the Sith's weapons were firmly in the Jedi's hands. The soldiers got to work planting explosives and setting the ship's self destruct. Once all preparations were complete, the group headed to their ship, escorting their Sith prisoner.

Minutes later a large fireball was viewed by the settlement on the planet below.

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To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again friends. I almost didn't post a chapter today, being too busy playing the game to write about it. Figured I'd post a new chapter before I called it a night. Enjoy. Thanks to everyone who is reading. I got my first review too! Woo Hoo! Thanks for that too.

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Master Jerel turned off the holoterminal onboard Havoc squad's ship and turned to Major Deshan, who had been watching the call from the far side of the ship. The call to the Jedi council had been short and to the point. There was much to discuss regarding the Republic's newest prisoner, but that conversation was best left to a face to face meeting.

"So, we're to drop you off on Coruscant. Not a long trip, but long enough. I will feel alot better once that Sith is off my ship." The Major commented, standing up from her seat. She hadn't participated in the call, but had watched with interest from the sidelines. "No offence to your Jedi senses, but I'm not 100 percent convinced it's safe to travel with her. She came willingly, and thanks to her, our mission was a success, but I don't trust her."

"She's not here to harm us, Major. If she were, she wouldn't have let us on that star destroyer in the first place. There is something unusual about her. She's unlike any other Sith I've ever encountered."

"That's all well and good, Master Jedi, but I'll still be happy to have her gone."

Jerel chuckled. The Major had a point. Traveling with a Sith prisoner was always a risk, even when said prisoner came willingly.

"Speaking of our prisoner, I'm going to go relieve my padawan of his vigil."

Jerel left the Major to return to her bridge and headed in the opposite direction. They were keeping the Sith in the brig and he had asked his Padawan to keep an eye on their guest while he updated the council on the success of their mission. To be honest, none of them were sure what to do with her. This was the first time they had ever held a Sith Lord prisoner who had actually helped them save lives and surrendered to them afterwards. If it hadn't been for her, the republic would have only heard about the Empire's new weapon after the fact.

The republic owed her much, but she was still Sith. A Sith with a conscience , perhaps, but still a Stih and she hadn't actually defected. She hadn't expressed any desire to train as a Jedi or learn to follow the light. Jerel didn't know anything about her intentions.

Jerel entered the outer room of the brig to find Hurrio and Captain Jorgan talking quietly, while continuing to watch the Sith behind the forcefield. He was not surprised by the Captain's presence. Though Cathars were a common enough species in the Republic, it was almost unheard of to find one who openly supported the Empire and there were no records of one ever being trained as a Sith. According to pillaged imperial reports, Cathars often did not survive long in Imperial custody, since their strong wills and volatile temperaments made them poor servants or slaves. They just weren't worth the trouble.

"How's she doing?" The Jedi asked, forgoing a seat at the small table to stand near the cell. The Sith sat unmoving, seemingly in a meditative state.

"Hasn't moved since we put her in there." Replied Hurrio. "Seems to be meditating, though I didn't think Sith did such things."

Jerel turned to face his padawan. "There is much we do not know about the Sith. Keep in mind, young one, it is possible she's meditating for other reasons. Other people besides Force users meditate."

"Well, it's not a Cathar tradition, but since she's a hybrid, who knows." Jorgan added, watching the Sith from his seat. He sat on the side of the table which afforded the most optimal view of the prisoner.

Jerel looked quizzically at the soldier, taking a seat opposite him. "How do you know she's a hybrid?"

Jorgan chuckled, his feline voice amused. "I can tell by her skin and her eyes. Her fur looks grey from afar, but if you were to look closer, you can tell she has white fur with blue skin underneath. I got a good, up close, look at her hands and face when we brought her aboard. Blue skin and glowing red eyes are not Cathar traits. If I had to guess, I'd say one of her parents is probably a Chiss."

Jerel rubbed his chin contemplatively. "That would be a very unusual combination. As far as I know, Chiss don't get along with other races, in general. They are hardly accepted in the Empire. Not that the Empire is very alien friendly, anyway. I'm surprised the two species are even genetically compatible."

Jerel go up and walked over to the controls to the holding cell. He dropped the forcefield and entered the cell, Jorgan raising the field once the Jedi was inside. The Sith didn't seem to register the Jedi's presence until he stood only about two feet from where she sat, legs folded under her. She had removed her long outer robe, wearing a simple, lightweight jumpsuit. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked up.

"So many questions, Jedi. They're swimming around in that head of yours like flies around a rotting corpse." She spoke calmly, with no real emotion in her words.

Jerel nodded. "Yes, I have many questions. As does the Jedi council. There will be time for those questions when we return to Coruscant. For now, I'd like to know your name. Just calling you "Sith" is a bit awkward."

The Sith chuckled at the joke, seeming to come fully out of the trance she was in. "My name is Lord Quindalyn Nommi and before you ask, your Cathar commando was correct about my heritage. He has a good eye. My mother was a cathar and an Imperial slave. My father, on the other hand, is a high ranking Chiss Imperial agent."

Jerel bowed his head slightly. "Interesting. I look forward to hearing more about you. It will take only a few days to get to Coruscant. I trust you find your accommodations sufficiently comfortable, Lord Nommi."

The Sith nodded her head. "You are far more generous than the Empire is with its prisoners."

"One of the many differences between us." Jerel added, turning to look at Captain Jorgan, who dropped the forcefield so the Jedi could leave the cell.

The Sith closed her eyes and returned to her meditative pose. "So it would seem, Master Jedi. So it would seem."

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To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Greetings All!

Welcome to chapter 6. This is little more than a filler chapter, but hey, they can't all be winners. Actually, this one was separated out incorrectly from the next chapter and I am just too lazy to change all the chapter numbers in my system. Hope you enjoy anyway. Thanks for reading!

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Supreme Chancellor Saresh stood on the balcony of her office, looking out over the bustling activity of Coruscant. The city planet was always bustling, but there was a particularly significant buzzing of activity in the senate tower today. Not only was Grand Master Satele Shan in the building, but their newest prisoner had just arrived in the wee hours of the morning.

It was a rare event, having the leader of the Jedi council physically present on the planet. She tended to conduct business from Tython. This Sith prisoner had to be something special. Of course, this was the first time in decades they had captured a Lord of the Sith, or in this case, had one willingly surrender without a fight. Usually the only Sith taken alive were lesser force users. Acolytes or apprentices, who had yet to gain the courage to go out fighting, rather than be taken alive. Occasionally, a Jedi master would manage to convince a Sith to convert to the light, but that situation was also rare.

The door to her office chimed and Master Satele entered.

"Ah, Master Jedi. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me." Suresh gestured at a seat across from her desk, taking her own seat. "I know today will be particularly busy, once you begin interrogation of the Sith."

The leader of the Jedi Council nodded her agreement, taking a seat. "Yes, today is a rare occasion, that is certain. It has been a long time since we captured a high level Sith alive. Sith Lords don't usually come peacefully or willingly. I get a sense from Master Jerel that this Sith it different, somehow."

"I am assuming the Jedi are still taking the necessary safety precautions while transporting the captive on Coruscant? Different or not, she's still powerful."

"We are, but I doubt the extra security will be needed. Master Jerel has informed us he feels no deception from the Sith. She is conflicted, but about something other than her capture. She has no desire to escape or fight."

"I trust your judgment, Master Satele, along with the judgment of the council, but I would be remiss if I did not ask the question and voice my concerns."

Master Satele's holocommunicator began to chime. She activated it, displaying a miniature figure of Master Jerel. "Sorry to interrupt, Master Satele, but we are ready for you."

"I will be there in a moment." Satele replied, turning off the holo once the jedi on the other end bowed his acknowledgement. She stood, using a grace only found in extremely powerful Jedi. "I must take my leave, but I assure you, we are taking every precaution with this Sith. I will keep you informed on what is learned during the interrogation."

Suresh nodded. "Good luck."

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To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Welcome to chapter 7, all you fabulous people! I'm happy that a few of you seem to be enjoying my ramblings. Special Thanks to those who reviewed. Anyway, on with the show.

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Lord Nommi sat utterly passive in front of Masters Satele and Jerel. Coruscant security was standing behind the closed council room door, but there was very little need of them. If one Sith was powerful enough to slaughter two of the most powerful Jedi in existence and try to escape, then the security were as good as dead, anyway.

All was quiet for several moments, until Master Satele stood, addressing the Sith directly.

"Master Jerel has informed me your name is Lord Quindalyn Nommi."

The Sith nodded. "That is correct."

"You are safe here. Please feel free to respond to any question with honesty, knowing we will not harm you."

Nommi scoffed in a disbelieving sort of way. "I am safe here? I doubt that. In this room under your watchful eyes, perhaps, but you can sense the hostility in this building just as well as I can. I am safe, yes, for now."

"You will not be harmed as long as you are in the custody of the Jedi. I promise you." Satele replied.

"A Sith does not fear death. You may begin your questions, knowing I will speak honestly."

"Very well." Satele returned to her seat. " I think the only place to begin is, why did you help us destroy that weapon?"

Nommi smiled at the Jedi. "The first question is always the hardest and most complicated to answer. I suppose, I betrayed the Empire because it had to be done. Sith are trained to do anything to obtain an objective. In essence, the Sith trained me to betray the Empire."

"Please explain." Jerel said, a look for pure curiosity on his face. If he were being honest with himself, he had been itching to talk to the Sith since she was captured. It had taken great strength of will to wait until they arrived on Coruscant.

"As I told you on the ship, Master Jedi, I was born of a Cathar slave and a Chiss Imperial agent. I do not know if my conception was based on love or something more violent. I never asked the question. Won't have gotten an answer, anyway. At four, it was determined that I was force sensitive. Normally, slaves with force sensitivity are killed, to keep the ranks of the Sith pure, but since my father was such a high ranking agent in the Empire and held the ear of a powerful Darth, I was admitted to Korriban. Because I was so young, they allowed my mother to go with me. Sith overseers don't make the best nursemaids."

Nommi paused, taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Once on Korriban, I began my training to become Sith. My mother did not wish for me to be trained, but there was little she could do to stop the process. Once identified, a force user in the Empire is either trained to be Sith or is killed, and half of those who go to Korriban do not survive their trials. As my overseers trained me to use my emotions to destroy and murder, my mother taught me about happiness, love, compassion and tolerance. My entire childhood was one long contradiction."

"Amazing." Master Satele said. "So you really are a Sith with a conscience."

"In a matter of speaking. I am Sith, do not doubt it. On the road to becoming a Lord, I left a trail of pain, death and destruction, like any other Sith, though maybe not as enthusiastically. In order to survive, I had to be as you see before you, a heartless killer. Even my defection required death. You saw it yourself, Master Jedi. How easily I killed the Ensign and Admiral on the Doomsday. How effortlessly I sent my own Apprentice to his death. I should feel bad for the betrayal, but I do not."

"That is not entirely true, Lord Nommi." Master Satele interrupted. "You are saying the words, but you do not feel them. There is much conflict in your mind, particularly when thinking of your apprentice. I'm willing to bet every life you have taken has been followed by remorse, even if it's pushed back into your unconscious mind. Being Sith was your only way of survival."

Nommi looked away from the two Jedi, as if not seeing them would make their words any less true.

"You saved the lives of hundreds of people on that planet by taking the lives of a few. You've hidden your compassion behind Sith callousness, but you are not hiding it from us. You helped us destroy that weapon because it was the right thing to do. Protecting those who cannot protect themselves is the right thing to do." Jerel added.

"Your mind is open to us, Lord Nommi. You are not trying to hide. That is why you defected. You're trying to save yourself." Satele said calmly, allowing the Force to guide her thoughts. The woman before they was not a Sith, not in her heart. Her mother's teachings rang just as true to her as the teachings of her overseers at the sith academy. "Free yourself of your guilt and let us help you find the light."

Lorn Nommi returned her gaze to the two Jedi, disbelieving. "Sitting before you is a hardened Lord of the Sith, who admits to the deaths of hundreds of people, yet you offer your help. You wish to help me, regardless of my past deeds?"

Jerel chuckled. "I told you there were many differences between the Empire and the Republic. There are even more differences between the Sith and the Jedi."

"We will help you find whatever it is you seek, if you allow us to." Satele stated.

* * *

To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading! I should be able to keep up the current pace for posing chapters, since I already have 28 chapters written. I've been SWTOR inspired, as of late!


	8. Chapter 8

Woo Hoo! A new chapter. Thanks to everyone who is reading. Also, thanks to everyone taking the time to review. I like the comments, be them good or bad.

Special thanks to Cathy, for pointing out the typos. My field of expertise is not english/writing and spelling/grammar checks only go so far. I do my best to proofread everything I write, but it can be hard to find my own mistakes. Thanks again! PS, this chapter should answer one of your questions...

Enjoy!

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The Sith was returned to her cell in Coruscant, being guarded by two Jedi and a half dozen soldiers, while the Jedi masters stayed in the chamber. Nothing was said for many minutes.

Finally, Master Satele stood and paced around the room. "This is a most unusual situation. This is the first time I've met a Sith Lord who wants nothing more than to find peace. It's amazing. The conflict in her is almost crippling. If being Sith were not such a dominant part of her life, this Lord Nommi would have died long ago. Her Sith training saved her. "

Jerel leaned back in this seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can't imagine what her mother went through, watching her child being trained to be a Sith, all the while trying to teach her not to be Sith. Do you honestly think we can help her?"

Setele sighed. "We've converted Sith in the past, so there is a chance. A chance her mother gave her when she taught her daughter the difference between right and wrong. We just need to help Lord Nommi learn how to listen to her conscience. It's there, just buried deep down. It will be a challenge, that's for sure. And even if we succeed, there will be a great deal of guilt that must be worked through before she can even hope to find peace."

Setele sat back down. "And there are a few members of the council who will not be pleased with the idea of a Sith Lord being allowed on Tython. To be honest, I can't even argue with them. It's a risk we take every time we attempt to turn dark to light. My feelings tell me this Sith can be helped, so I fear we must take the risk and try."

Jerel nodded. "I agree. The Republic owes her that much."

XXX

Aric Jorgan stood outside the cell containing the Sith Lord who had surrendered to them on the Doomsday. He didn't know why he felt like he needed to speak with the Sith, but his curiosity finally got the best of him. He just had to know.

"I didn't think I was allowed visitors." Lord Nommi said calmly, opening her eyes. She sat on the bed, her legs under her, like she had been on the ship.

"I'm the XO of the most decorated special forces unit in the Republic. You'll find a title like that can have a lot of pull. I wanted to ask you about your mother. What's her name?"

Nommi gave the Cathar a confused look, straightening out her legs and resting her elbows on her knees. This wasn't exactly a question she had been expecting. "Alanna Nommi."

Aric chuckled to himself. "I knew your mother. She took care of me a few times when I was only 4 or 5, back on Rendili. You look just like her, minus the blue skin and red eyes, of course."

Nommi stood and took several steps towards the forcefield keeping her in her cell. For the first time since her surrender, you could see real emotion in her eyes. "My mother never told me about her life before she became a slave."

Aric took a chair from a small table nearby and sat down a safe distance from the forcefield.

"My mother told me Alanna had been killed when her transport ship was attacked by the Empire. There had been no survivors."

"My mother had been the only survivor, barely. She was severely wounded. The Imperial cleanup crew found her and got her to a medstation. Once she was healed, she was sold to my father as a personal servant."

"Is she still alive?" Aric asked, almost dreading the answer. He knew full well that the lifespan of a Cathar in the Empire was extremely short. They hated the Empire and were too spirited to make good servants or laborers. They were generally not considered worth the trouble and were executed shortly after capture.

The Sith lowered her eyes, their red glow dimmed slightly. "No. She was executed in front of me, as a final trial before I was awarded the title of Lord." She looked back up and Aric could see the pain in her eyes. "I was in a my master's chambers. My mother was ushered in, blindfolded, by a half dozen heavily armed guards. Without any kind of warning, the lead guard shot her. Just shot her, right through the head. Needless to say, I snapped. I killed the guard who shot her and all of the rest of the guards in the room. Even the one who begged for his life."

She turned around and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "I guess that was the reaction the dark council and my master wanted. I was awarded the title of Lord, given my own chambers on Dromund Kaas and was even given pick of the best acolytes on Korriban to take as an apprentice. The dark council ordered me to oversee the weapons manufacturing operations of the Empire. That was two years ago."

"I'm sorry." Aric said. What else could he say.

"Don't be. It was on that day that things changed for me. I'm not talking about the title or the new status. I'm talking about the voices in my head. I always had a little voice which yelled at me whenever I did something evil. The conscience my mother had instilled in me, I guess you could call it. I had been able to ignore it up until that day. After that day, everything I did was scrutinized by that voice."

Nommi once again put her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her hands. The position was very un-Sith like.

"A year ago, I learned about the weapon. It wasn't until they determined the planet they were making preparations to test it on, that I decided that something had to be done to stop the test. I'm assuming you heard about who was living on the planet?"

Aric nodded. "Escaped Imperial slaves, innocent civilians. Many alien species, including several families of Cathar."

"Two months ago, I intercepted a transmission between a Republic base and Master Jerel. I decided that the only person who could be convinced to help a Sith, would be a Jedi. It took a few weeks to convince him of the authenticity of my claims. In the end, I think he didn't so much trust me, as he couldn't afford to risk doing nothing if I was telling the truth."

"Your gamble worked. You not only saved hundreds of lives in the settlement, but prevented a terrible weapon from seeing the light of day."

"I also sacrificed my apprentice. Sent him to die as surely as if the blade were in my hand. He was a good kid. Quick learner. His eyes lingered on my body a little longer than was appropriate, but still a good kid. A fine example of pure Sith blood. Dead, just for being my apprentice. And I'm not sorry. It had to be done."

"The fact that you brought up his demise only proves that you are sorry and you do care. Try listening to that little voice in your head."

Nommi sighed. "I might just do that."

"Thanks for the honest talk." Aric said, returning the chair back to it's place by the table and leaving the room.

Lord Nommi returned to her meditative position, but the little voice in her head was lecturing her about the merits of Aric's words.

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To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Hello All. I'm sorry it took a few days to update. I've been sick since last week. Anyway, enough excuses, enjoy!

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Jerel had never really had a reason to travel the far northern roads of Tython. As a padawan, he was never ordered that far from the temple for his trials, as a knight he was usually off world and as a master and teacher, he had no reason to take long pilgrimages. Now, however, traveling this road was a regular part of his weekly routine.

Master Satele had been correct about certain council members not being pleased about Lord Nommi's arrival on Tython. They had argued for more than a hour, but had finally agreed on an arrangement which would allow for them to help the wayward Sith, but also insure the security of the temple and resident padawans.

They had sent Nommi to a small cottage far to the north of the temple. It took a good day to walk the distance or almost two hours by speeder bike. Jedi sentinels took turns in guarding the cottage 24 hours a day, while several masters visited daily, helping Lord Nommi to learn how to listen to her conscience and find peace.

Once Jerel had powered down his speeder bike, he waved at Lukno, one of the two sentinels stationed at the Sith's door, and entered the cabin. He did not knock, which was one of Nommi's requests. She was worried she'd slip back to her old ways and felt better knowing anyone could enter at any time.

Jerel found the Sith in her usual place, on a padded rug in the middle of the main room, but instead of sitting with her legs folded under her, she was lying flat on her back, with her hands folded over her stomach.

Jerel chuckled. "You look comfortable."

Nommi smiled, opening her eyes, but continued to lay on her back. Jerel took a seat in a chair a few feet away.

"I didn't sleep well last night and figured if I fell asleep during my meditations today, it would be best if I was in this position. I was getting very close when you walked in."

"I'm sorry to disturb you. Any particular reason you slept so poorly?" Jerel asked, settling in. Jerel really didn't have a strategy for his visits with the Sith, he had figured it was best to just let the conversation flow naturally, allowing the Force to guide him.

"I kept waking up with this feeling of dread. Like something bad was coming. Maybe it's just my past coming back to haunt me."

Jerel sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Perhaps, but I will inform the global defense force to keep their eyes open. It's rare for a Jedi's feelings to mean nothing."

Nommi sat up into a seated position, facing the Jedi.

"You forget, Master Jerel, I am not a Jedi."

"Not yet, but it is safe to say, you are no longer a Sith, either, Lord Nommi."

"Please, call me Quinn from now on. Lord Nommi is my Sith name and if I am, as you say, no longer a Sith, than I should be addressed differently. My first name is Quindalyn, but I prefer to be called Quinn. My mother never liked my first name, but my father insisted on calling me Quindalyn. She found Quinn acceptable."

Jerel got up from his seat and approached Quinn. He held his hand out to her and she took it.

"If it was good enough for your mother, then it's good enough for me. I am please to meet you, Quinn. Today is a beginning. A start."

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To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading. The next chapter will be up tomorrow, with any luck.


	10. Chapter 10

Here's a nice long chapter for you. Enjoy.

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Quinn had a bad feeling. She had been having a hard time sleeping for days, but last night was 100 times worse. She paced up and down the main living area, her mind nagging her, preventing her from even meditating.

After almost two hours, she finally gave up and went out the front door. Sentinel Miranda stood at attention. "Is there something wrong, Quinn?" She asked. Of all the Jedi tasked with guarding her, Miranda was by far the friendliest. Quinn often found herself sitting outside with the sentinel, talking about random things, the weather, the native wildlife, the various planets they had each visited. They never talked about anything Jedi or Sith related. They were just two people, sharing their life experiences. Quinn savored the time. It felt normal.

"Is everything alright at the temple?" Quinn asked, real concern in her voice.

"I would assume so." Miranda replied, confused. "Why do you ask?"

Quinn shrugged. "I just have a bad feeling. Something is gnawing at my mind, like an elusive enemy who refuses to show himself."

"Let me check." The Jedi pulled out a holocommunicator and called the temple. Master Syo answered.

"Yes, Miranda?"

"Sorry to interrupt whatever you're doing, but is everything alright there?" She asked.

Syo looked confused. "Yes, all is quiet on world and off. Why do you ask?"

"Just checking, Master. Quinn had a bad feeling and I was just making sure all was well."

Suddenly, the holocommunicator went dead.

"What happened?" Quinn asked.

"There is something interfering with the communicator." Miranda started to examine the device, but was stopped short when a bolt from a blaster struck her on the side and a second hit the second sentinel a few paces away in the chest. Quinn caught the Jedi while dodging a bolt obviously meant for her and drug the injured Jedi into the cottage. She then rushed out, dodging several more shots, grabbed the second sentinel and drug him into the cottage as well, closing the door behind her. She knelt by Miranda grabbing a cloth from the kitchen and pressed it against the her bleeding side.

"Who was that?" She asked breathlessly.

Quinn took a second cloth and attended to the other sentinel. The Twi'lek was unconscious, but still alive.

"I only got a quick view, but it looked like imperial uniforms." Quinn stated, now understanding her earlier dismay. She knew what was happening outside, but she didn't' fully believe it.

"Are they here for you?" Miranda asked, obviously in pain. She wasn't bleeding badly, but blaster wounds hurt.

"I don't think so, but If I'm correct, this is a more broad attack. Is there any way to contact the masters on the training grounds? They need to be warned."

"No, looks like they sabotaged the communications. Fortunately, Master Syo will feel something wrong. They will investigate."

"I need to go help them." Quinn said, standing up. "Can you keep this over Killion's wound? I'll try to get the soldiers to follow me out. I can make it to the speeders."

Miranda nodded, positioning herself so she could tend to both her wound and her fellow Jedi's. She went to her belt and took off her lightsaber. "Take this." She handed it to Quinn. "Take care of yourself. I'll lock us in."

Quinn only hesitated for a moment before taking the weapon. Miranda's lightsaber wasn't as balanced as Quinn's own weapons, but it would do. With a nod and deep breath, Quinn exited the cottage, keeping close to the wall. Several blasts ricocheted off the wall next to her. In seconds, Quinn ignited the lightsaber and she jumped at the soldier in the distance, slicing him down. Her mind shut down and she began to allow her Force senses to take over. In seconds, all of the soldiers were dead at her feet. Without hesitation, she jumped on the nearest speeder and jetted off towards Kaleth. If she was right, it would soon be under attack, with many inexperienced padawans being slaughtered.

It took only an hour to get there with Quinn pushing the machine beyond what was safe. She could hear the screams as she approached the ruins of upper Kaleth. Abandoning the bike, she once again ignited the borrowed lightsaber and rushed into the ruins.

At the far end of the ruins, she found a group of a dozen padawans fighting a losing battle against three Sith. The Sith were not slaughtering the young padawans, only herding them into a stone corner.

Without hesitation, Quinn jumped in, striking down the first Sith with ease. She then took on the other two Sith, blocking each advance. The padawans stood back, not believing what they were seeing.

Fortunately for Quinn, the two Sith were both fairly young, so she was able to defeat them without injury. It had been months since she engaged in melee combat and single saber dueling had never been one of her strongest skills, but she had motivation on her side. Once the opposition were dead, she closed down her weapon and approached the young learners.

"Are you alright?" She asked, doing her best to not look threatening. She knew her appearance was not the most reassuring. Her face was not familiar to any of the padawans and for some reason, glowing red eyes were never found reassuring.

A young human man took a step forward, his training weapon still at the ready. "You're the Sith living in the mountains, aren't you?" He asked. He was obviously afraid, but managing his emotions well for a learner, new to the Force.

Quinn nodded, still using her senses and her eyes to detect any danger.

"We thought you were just a rumor." Said a Miralain girl. She was just getting to be a teenager, but was showing great bravery. Her voice was steady.

"Not a rumor." Quinn replied. "Are there any other padawans in the area?"

"No." The human answered. "The Sith rounded us up. They said they wanted to kill us in one group, for effect to the people who found our bodies. Two other Sith were heading towards the bike hub. Master Till'in was alone down there."

"I will go after him. You guys find a place to hide where you will be safe. You know this area well."

"We can help you." Said a third padawan, this one a Twi'lek girl.

"No, none of you are trained for this. Go. hide. Live to fight another day." This statement in and of itself surprised Quinn. If she were still Sith, she would have sent the inexperienced learners into battle, not running to safety.

The padawans headed further into the wilderness with no further argument and Quinn turned towards the speeder hub. She could feel the fight being fought by Master Till'in. He was one of several Masters who visited her regularly and she was not going to let him die today.

She heard the battle before she saw it, hurrying in to find one Sith dead and the second fighting Master Till'in. The Jedi was holding his own well, even with an injury on his left arm. Quinn's approach threw the Sith off his game and Till'in was able to make the killing blow.

Master Till'in took several deep breaths, resting with his hands on his knees. "Quinn?" He asked, straightening himself up. "What are you doing here?" The Jedi master's thoughts were conflicted, obviously worried about what side the former Sith was fighting on.

"The cottage was attacked by soldiers. Miranda and Killion are both wounded, but still alive. We need to get to the temple. They will need our help to protect the students and if I'm right, we don't have much time."

"What's happening?" He asked while he prepped two speeders.

Quinn kept a look out. "If I'm right, the Empire is trying to pull off a plan that was many years in the making. If we do not hurry, there might not be a temple left to defend. We need to get to the rear side of the temple, where the power supply resides."

Till'in didn't argue, just hurried the bikes. Within minutes, they were speeding towards the power station on the right side of the temple. We passed several Jedi, fighting both Sith and imperial soldiers. It was a war zone.

It only took a matter of minutes to get to their destination, but it felt like hours. Quinn's mind was reeling. She kept hoping this was all a dream, but in her heart, she knew it wasn't.

They approached the power station quickly, but cautiously. They got to the main power generator just in time to see the last few explosives added. A line of soldiers circled a single explosives expert, who was beginning to attach a remote detonator.

Without hesitation, Quinn jumped to the attack, followed only a fraction of a second by the Jedi Master. It took only a few minutes to decimate the unprepared soldiers.

"How did you know they would try to blow the power station?" Till'in asked, examining the explosive. "The placement of these explosives would have caused a catastrophic effect on the temple. Half of it would have been blown away."

"It's a long story." Quinn replied. "We need to help protect the temple. If we live, I'll explain everything, I promise."

Master Till'in nodded, seeing the wisdom of her words.

The pair made their way around the temple on foot, helping where they could along the way. Eventually, they made it to the main entrance, which was being guarded by several Jedi, including Masters Jerel and Satele. There were several Sith fighting a good distance from the temple.

"The Sith are keeping their distance from the temple." Till'in observed.

Quinn nodded. "Waiting for an explosion that will never happen. We need to push them back, while we have the advantage. As long as they think this place is going to go up in smoke, they won't advance, and as long as our people think they need to defend the temple, they will not budge, either. We can't wait for them to land more troops. This temple contains the most powerful Jedi alive and even they will eventually fall to sheer numbers."

Quinn scanned the battle. She had to find the Sith commanding the charge. Sith weren't like the military. In a battle like this one, the leader would be at the front line.

"There!" Quinn said to Till'in, pointing at one of the many Sith on the front line of the battle. "That is Darth Ignorm. I'd bet my life he's the leader."

"Are you certain?" Till'in asked.

"Darth Ignorm is a narcissistic windbag. The only battle he'd march into, is the one he leads. If we take him out, we might have a chance, but it will take at least two, if not three of us to do the job. Ignorm may be a narcissistic windbag, but he's almost unmatched with a lightsaber."

Quinn went silent for a moment. "Go to the temple and get at least one, if not two more Jedi. I'll go out there and distract him. He knows me. At that point, advance on him. We'll need to work together. Don't wait too long, though. I'm not great with a single lightsaber technique, I doubt even the element of surprise will afford me much time."

Till'in hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Quinn nodded. Till'in headed along the wall toward the entrance of the temple, while Quinn stayed on the outskirts of the main battle, getting as close as she could without being totally visible to the Darth. She watched the Jedi master as he dodged two blaster bolts, but made it behind the makeshift cover the masters had set up at the entrance of the temple. Quinn counted to 20 then stepped out into the Darth's line of view. It took him a few seconds to realize who he was looking at, his mind obviously focused on fighting, not identifying who he was fighting, but when he did, he paused, pushing away the Jedi he was battling.

"Lord Nommi." He said, the dark veins and piercing red eyes showing the darkside corruption on his once human face. "You are supposed to be dead, you know." He didn't point his lightsaber at Quinn, but kept it at the ready. Quinn ignited her borrowed weapon, the blue of the blade showing in distinct contrast to the Darth's red.

"Things are not always as they appear." Quinn replied, circling the Sith so his back was facing the temple.

Ignorm laughed. "So, instead of dying a failure, you live as a traitor. Interesting. And considering you are here, defending this temple, I'd guess our plan to destroy the structure has already failed." The Darth smiled evilly. "Which also means there is no reason for us to delay our onslaught."

The Sith took a deep breath to announce to his fellow Sith and the imperial soldiers to move on the temple, when he was attacked from behind by Till'in and Jerel. The Sith felt their advance, but at the same time, Quinn pressed an attack as well, cutting off the orders before they could be completed. Other Sith began to come to the defense of their leader, but more Jedi joined the fray from the temple.

The battle raged on, with the two Jedi masters and Quinn all fighting Darth Ignorm. Quinn had been correct about the Sith's power, for no matter how hard they advanced, they could not gain any ground on the man. The Sith seemed to find joy in their failed efforts.

"Is this the best the Jedi have to offer?" He mocked, managing to connect with Quinn's side. Quinn fell to the ground, cradling her side where the lightsaber blade had ripped through her robe and dug deeply into her side. Quinn could smell the sickening odor of charred flesh. She looked up to see both Jedi masters get pushed bad. Ignorm raised his blade to deliver a killing blow to Jerel.

Anger raged through Quinn. She felt her old self come to the surface as she got to her feet, her pain forgotten. "You will not hurt him!" She yelled, sending several streaks of lightning at the Darth. The bolts took the Sith by surprise, allowing Jerel to not only dodge the killing blow, but to make a killing blow of his own. His lightsaber went right through the Sith's chest, it's azure light exiting his back.

The Darth fell to his knees, then crumbled to the ground.

Quinn also crumbled to the ground, the battle still raging around her body.

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To Be Continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 is up. Just a quickie for tonight.

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It had taken almost a full day, but the Jedi were able to push back the attacking force of Sith and Imperial soldiers. It was a relatively small force to take a structure like the Jedi academy, but it was still formidable. Fortunately, once the leader of the Sith force was identified and defeated, the remaining Sith seemed to lose a bit of their fight. By the time Republic troops arrive to assist, all that was left to do was patrol for any straggling opposition and the removal of the explosive devices that had been planted around the power generators.

Master Satele sat in the council chamber with the other members of the council, all of them looking tired and worn, but relatively uninjured. All things considered, there had been very few fatalities. There were too many injuries to count and a few of the padawans who were in upper Kaleth were still unaccounted for, but all in all, it could have been much worse.

The door to the chamber opened and Major Willow Deshan entered, looking unskaved, considering Havoc squad had arrive when most of the fighting had concluded.

"Looks like all opposition has either been killed or hightailed it off world. Havoc is up in the ruins now looking for your missing students." Deshan reported.

"Thank you, Major. With any luck, they will find the padawans alive and unharmed. With all the chaos, we just can't sense their fates with any certainty." Satele said, leaning back in her chair. She hated to admit it, but the attack on the school had rattled her. They had all believed that a ground assault on the academy was impossible. They had become complacent and were now paying for it.

The Major took a seat with a sigh. "I took a look at the explosives they had rigged to your power generator. It was some heavy duty hardware. If they had gone off, half this build would have been blown away, along with a good portion of the surrounding area. How did you find out about the sabotage?"

"We didn't. One of our former Sith somehow knew about the plan. She and another Jedi master were able to got to the explosives before they could be fully placed. The Force was truly with us today."

The major looked at the Jedi master critically. "Has anyone talk with this former Sith about how she knew about this attack?"

"She is actually still in the medcenter, having sustained a severe injury during the fight. When she awakens, we plan to ask."

"Speaking of our injured Sith, I will go check on her and see how the healers are holding up with treating the injured." Master Jerel said, getting up from his seat. The door to the chamber opened again and Hurrio stepped inside. He looked like all of the other Jedi, tired with war torn robes, but he had an excited look on his dirty face.

"Sorry for the interruption, but we found all of the missing padawans! They were hiding in a cave up in the farthest part of the ruins. They had a few minor injuries, but nothing serious. Apparently, a Cathar with glowing red eyes rescued them and told them to hide."

"Looks like we have more to thank Quinn for than we thought." Satele said with a smile. It was a terrible series of events, but if nothing else, Quinn had just proved her new found devotion to the light.

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To Be Continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Been busy, but here is another chapter.

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Quinn was honestly surprised when she woke up. At first, she wasn't sure if she had survived her encounter with Darth Ignorm, since she was in no pain. Surely, if she were still alive, she would be in some kind of pain, since getting sliced nearly in half by a lightsaber was not a pleasant experience. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she realized she was in a medcenter and had obviously been treated and given painkillers.

"Welcome back, Quinn." Master Jerel said with a smile, leaning forward on the chair next to her medical cot.

Quinn sighed, closing her eyes. The bright lights around her hurt her eyes. "I'm guessing we won and the planet is secure."

"Indeed. Thanks to you, I've been told."

Quinn turned away from the Jedi. "No, not thanks to me. It's my fault Tython was attacked."

Jerel looked at Quinn quizzically, but did not ask her to elaborate. "Do you feel up to talking with the council? I think you may be the only person on the planet who knows the whole story behind this attack. The fact you knew about the explosives on the power generators has left many council members concerned. I know you are injured, but the sooner we can clear the air, the better, I think."

Quinn swung your legs over the side of the cot, moving to a seated position. She swayed and would have fell back down, if Jerel hadn't been there to steady her. Jedi healer Planka, a slight twi'lek woman with a presence ten times her size, rushed over. She had a scowl on her face.

"Oh no, you don't! She is in no condition to be talking to anyone. Unless you haven't noticed, she was almost cut in half!"

Jerel tried to assure the healer. "I would normally agree with you, but it's important that we sort out this situation. I promise we'll take it easy on Quinn and return here as soon as we're done talking."

Planka huffed her frustration. She had been in charge of the treatment of all of the wounded from the attack, so needless to say, she was beyond exhausted, but like most Jedi, too stubborn to think of her own welfare over that of others. "I'll let her go with you, Jerel, but you must keep her seated and do not overly stress her. She sustained a very serious injury and would be in a kolto tank if I had one available. I hold you personally responsible for her welfare."

Jerel smiled a Planka reassuringly. "Not to worry, my friend. I will look after her and return her to you as soon as possible."

It was obvious the healer didn't like her patient leaving before she had been medically cleared, but there were too many others to tend to for her to argue for long. She merely scoffed and hurried off to help others. It was fortunate for Jerel that Planka's attention was divided, since she was a formidable Jedi, regardless of her chosen specialty. You crossed her at your own risk.

Not wanting to press his luck, Jerel assisted Quinn to her feet. She swayed and

Jerel held her to him, taking a good portion of her body weight until she was able to regain her footing. He could feel her heart beating rapidly, working to keep Quinn conscious. Jerel focused on the sound, willing his connection to the Force to help her heart steady.

"Think you can walk, or should I tell the council they'll need to wait until you're more stable?"

Quinn took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, then let it out slowly. "No, I'm fine. I won't be able to rest well until I speak with them anyway."

Jerel nodded, then wrapped his right arm around Quinn's waist. Thankfully, she accepted the Jedi Master's help without complaint. It was further evidence as to just how injured the former Sith was. Accepting help had been a fairly new development in her life, only accepting it when she desperately needed assistance.

The pair slowly made their way up the ascending walkway, which thankfully ended at the council chamber. Quinn walked steadily, but Jerel could tell she would need to sit down as soon as they entered the chamber, or risk collapse.

The concern was almost tangible in the council chambers when they entered. Jerel made his way to one of the empty seats and placed Quinn gentle into the chair. Her skin was pale under her fur and she was obviously in some pain, but once she was seated, she seemed to perk up.

"Are you sure you feel up to talking?" asked master Kaedan. He had been one of the most skeptical masters in the council about Quinn's arrival and placement on Tython, but even he had sympathy for the injured.

Quinn nodded. "Yes. You must know the truth. This attack was my fault."

"How so?" Asked Satele.

"It was my attack. It was my plan. The placement of the explosives, the troops, the distractions, even the slaughtering of the students in Kaleth." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. A single tear seemed to hang at the corner of her left eye. Be it from physical or emotional pain, no one knew.

Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for Quinn to continue.

"When I was first granted the title of Lord, I was assigned to oversee the weapons manufacturing and development facilities of the Empire. I was also given a specific task. I was to come up with a attack plan to destroy the Jedi temple on Tython and take over control of the planet. Using information from interrogations, defectors and intelligence reports, I came up with the perfect attack strategy. Attacks from the south and east were meant to distract the Jedi in the general area of the temple, while troops applied explosives to the power generators. Knowing the type of generators, we were able to determine where to place the bombs to cause the most damage."

"And the attack of Kaleth to the North?" Asked Satele.

"That attack was meant as an exclamation point. It was determined that the area was used for independent student training, the the objective was the slaughter as many of the young Jedi as possible. I had designed it to be a bloodbath."

The room was silent.

"It took me almost 6 months to come up with the plan. When I turned it in to the dark council, I heard nothing of it. I thought it had been scraped. I had no idea the plan was actually in motion."

"I'm impressed." Said the Major, granting her several looks from the Jedi around the room.

She shrugged. "What? It's a sound plan. Well thought out."

"And it would have worked, if you hadn't have been here to stop it." Added Satele. "The Force was with us today."

This statement seemed to upset Quinn. "What do you mean, the Force was with us?" She said as forcefully as she could manage. "People died! The whole area is in chaos! Kaleth would be soaked in blood, if the idiot Sith assigned to attack it would have followed the plan and killed on sight! All because of me!"

Jerel tried to calm her, but she would not be calmed. The part of her which embraced the dark side was being sparked and she was far more powerful when she allowed the Sith in her to show through. It had shown during the battle, then she had gotten angry and had shot the Sith commander with lightning and it was showing now. It was sometimes easy to forget that Quinn had been, and in some ways still was, a Sith Lord, powerful enough in the dark side of the Force to warrant the title. Her face showed the corruption she had accumulated over the years, which was normally hidden when she was calm.

Master Satele raised her hand. "Because of you, the padawans in Kaleth are all alive and well. You saved, not only the students, but every Jedi in this temple. Regardless of who planned the attack, you are responsible for stopping it. Instead of having dozens wounded and only three dead, we could have had dozens dead."

Quinn leaned back into her seat, suddenly exhausted, as if fighting off the dark side had drained her of all her strength. The dark side corruption on her face faded, her fur helping to hide it. Her arm automatically wrapped around herself, cradling her injured side.

The door to the chamber opened and Captain Jorgan entered.

"Sir, we just got done securing the territory to the north of the temple. Found the cabin we were told about. There were two injured Jedi locked inside. Both had blaster wounds. The one, Miranda, said someone named Quinn had saved them after they were attacked. She left on a speeder with a borrowed lightsaber."

"Are they alright?" Quinn asked weakly.

Aric nodded. "Dorne says they should both pull through. I'm guessing you're Quinn?" Obviously recognizing her from her surrender a year earlier, but not recognizing the name.

"Decided to drop the Sith name and title." She said. Her eyes began to droop and her normal silver appearance paled.

"You need to get back to the medcenter." Jerel said, standing to help her.

"I got her, Master Jedi. Feels like you might have some heavy conversation to stick around for. That is, if you'll accept my assistance." Aric said to Quinn.

Quinn smiled. "I'm sure as hell not gonna make it there on my own."

Aric chuckled, assisting Quinn to her feet and half walked with her, half carried her out of the council room.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Hello all. This is a short one, but they can't all be long, can they. Thanks for reading.

* * *

"This is troubling." Master Kaedan said. "I'm not so sure Quinn is safe to have around the temple."

Master Kaedan had always been one of the most skeptical members of the council as it pertained to allowing Sith into the fold. It wasn't that he didn't believe that people could change, it just took a great deal of convincing.

"Why not?" Jerel replied. "This attack should prove she is dedicated to traveling on the light side. Regardless of her involvement in the plan as a whole, if it weren't for her, most of us would be dead or Imperial prisoners."

"True, but you were there during the fight with the Sith commander. She let her dark side take over. And again at this table. She's a danger to everyone here. Most of all the students. I realize what she's done, but we need to think of the safety of the padawans." Kaedan said.

"I agree, we must keep the students safe, but we can not ignore Quinn's desire to be good. This attack was not excepted and her part was vital, dark side or not." Satele said.

"And we can not forget that Quinn fought the only way she knew how. She has only ever been trained as a Sith." Master Kiwiiks added. "We can't punish her for not reacting like a Jedi, when she's never been taught how."

Major Deshan stood, stretching her back. "Well, since I am not a Jedi, I will take my leave, but if I can throw my two credits into the conversation, I think your order would benefit from having a strategic mind like Quinn's in your ranks. Former Sith or not."

She bowed slightly to the Jedi and left the room without any further words.

"The soldier is right. We have introduced former Sith into our ranks before and have benefited greatly. This situation is no different." Master Orgus Din said, with slight impatience.

"I see I am alone in my concern. If we do train this Sith to be Jedi, we must be cautious in her handling." Kaedan said, failing to hide his irritation with his fellow council members.

"If she agrees, I will take her as my padawan and train her myself." Replied Jerel.

The other council members nodded their agreement. Even Kaedan had to admit Master Jerel was probably the best master for Quinn, having been instrumental in her defection and relocation to Tython.

"It is agreed, then. Quinn will begin her journey to become a Jedi." Master Satele said, ending the debate.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Next chapter up. Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those reviewers. Enjoy...

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to make it, kid?" Aric asked Quinn.

"I can make it. Just don't make any unexpected stops and don't leave my side. I'll most likely tip over"

Aric chuckled. "We can't have that."

Several minutes later, they walked into the medcenter. Planka rushed over.

"Damn those council members. They should have waited to talk to you until you're not on the cusp of death. I need to get you into a kolto bath now."

Quinn wasn't going to argue, since she was being held up more by Aric than by her own legs. She looked to the side and saw Miranda lying on a cot to her right. She looked over at the overworked Medic.

"Where is the lightsaber I was using?" She asked her.

"You certainly don't need a weapon right now." She complained.

"Please?" Asked Quinn.

Planka sighed, but sensing the injured woman wouldn't rest until she did what she was going to do, Planka crossed the room to a small shelf and retrieved the weapon. She handed it to Quinn.

Quinn took the weapon, then, with Aric's help, made it to Miranda's bedside.

"Thank the Force, Quinn. It's good to see you're still alive, but you look terrible."

Quinn laughed weakly. "I wouldn't talk. You don't look very good, yourself."

"Killion and I are both still alive, thanks to you. He's already in a kolto tank, but they say he'll pull through."

"I'm glad." Quinn replied, handing the weapon to Miranda. "Thanks for the loan. It's a well balanced weapon."

Miranda nodded, taking her lightsaber.

Quinn looked like she wanted to say more, but her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell. Fortunately, Aric was there to catch her before she hit the floor.

"Bring her over here, Captain." Planka order.

Aric carried her over to the cot and gently placed her down, then stepped back, allowing the medic room to work.

Planka sighed again. "She passed out. No more adventures for her until she is fully recovered." She looked over at Aric. "Will you keep an eye on her, Captain. Don't let anyone take her out of this medcenter, for any reason. Shoot them in the leg, if you have to."

"Yes, ma'am." Aric replied, though he doubted Quinn would be in any condition to go anywhere, anytime soon. He took a seat next to the bed, but turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"How's she doing?" Master Jerel asked.

"Out cold. She made it back here alright, but she fainted minutes later. You'll have to wait if you want to speak with her."

"It's nothing that can't wait. She's been through a lot over the last few hours."

Aric looked from Quinn, to Jerel. "So, did you decide her fate?"

Jerel nodded. "I plan to take her as my padawan, my student, if she agrees. I'll start training her to be a Jedi."

Planka rushed over. "You just stay away, Master Jerel. I think the council has done quite enough for one day."

Jerel held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just here to make sure she got back alright. I leave her in your capable hands, until you say otherwise."

"You're damn right you will." Planka replied, turning away and heading towards the kolto tank room.

"I'm no Jedi expert, but I'm betting she is one Jedi not to be messed with." Aric commented.

Jerel smiled down at the Captain. "You have very good instincts."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Hello readers! Thanks to everyone for all the positive reviews and constructive cirticizim. It's much appreciated. This is a short one, but it's better then nothing.

* * *

Darth Thanaton paced up and down the full length of this chambers on Dromund Kaas. The latest reports had just come in about the assault on Tython, confirming the mission had been a complete failure. The strike had started out perfectly, but somewhere down the line, something had gone wrong.

The Sith growled. The plan, thought up by his late apprentice, had been perfect. Every detail was set up for maximum damage and casualties. Nommi hadn't been an overly powerful Sith, but she was a mastermind when it came to strategy and military tactics. Her death aboard the Doomsday had been a tragic loss to the Drath's power structure.

The door to his chambers opened and a young Sith walked in. Darth Thanaton smiled. He could feel the young Zabrak's fear, and he loved it. Fear was such an intoxicating emotion.

"My Lord, I have something to report from the battle on Tython. I was on planet and …."

The Darth reached out with the Force and took ahold of the lesser Sith, choking out his sentence. "You were on planet and yet, here you stand, alive. Do you wish to tell me why Tython is not under Imperial control? Think carefully about your answer. You're life will depend on it."

Thanaton loosened his hold just enough to allow the Sith to get a breath.

"Lord Nommi is alive." He squeaked out. "She assisted the Jedi on Tython. She's the reason the plan failed. She seemed to know every detail and how to stop us."

Thanaton released his hold on the Sith, who slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

"And you are sure it was Lord Nommi?"

"Yes, my Lord. There is no doubt." The Sith replied, returning to a more dignified position, obviously thankful to still be alive.

"Leave." Thanaton said and the Sith did not hesitate to remove himself for the chambers.

Thanaton paced a few more time, before hitting a button on his command console. The station came to life.

"Yes, my Lord?" Came a voice from the console.

"Contact Imperial intelligence. I need to speak with Keeper immediately."

"Right away, my Lord."

Thanaton continued his pacing, but there was a slight purpose in his step. He had plans to make. Lord Nommi's betrayal had to be dealt with, quickly and quietly. This insult would not go unpunished.

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To Be Continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry for the delay on a new chapter. I've been very busy with life, as of late. Thanks for reading. Enjoy.

* * *

Cipher Eight cursed loudly, dragging himself out of his bed. The holo on this ship had been indicating he had a call coming in, which he was inclined to ignore, but it happened repeatedly for the last 10 minutes. He hated when people couldn't take the hint that he didn't want to be disturbed.

The Chiss grumbled to himself, as he made his way to his holotable. This was one of the times he wished he had not turned off his protocol droid for the night. The snarky machine was almost impossible to tolerate on long flights and liked to interrupt his sleep with random questions about ship improvement.

He tapped a few buttons and an image of Keeper appeared on the holotable.

"It's about time you answered." He said, obviously irritated. "Get back to Dromund Kaas as quickly as possible. Darth Thanaton has demanded to see you. He did not seem happy. I have no idea what business he has with you, but it would be unwise to keep the Sith waiting."

"I'm already on my way there, sir. I should arrive in less than a day." Cipher Eight replied, waiting until Keeper signed off and the holo went dead to curse under his breath.

Communications with Thanaton had all but stopped after the death of Lord Nommi. The Darth's apprentice, Cipher Eight's daughter, had been killed over a year ago and there was little reason for the Agent and the Sith to speak further. The fact that the Sith was communicating through Imperial Intelligence, rather than in person, implied the Sith was not happy and wanted my bosses to know it.

With a sigh, the Agent headed back towards his quarters, but thought better of it and headed to the galley instead. He was awake and slightly nervous, so sleep was now an impossibility. He made himself a beverage and sat down at the small table in the center of the room.

Cipher Eight had worked for Darth Thanaton when he was still working his way through the ranks of Imperial Intelligence. He had proved his worth and flew through the ranks, with Thanaton's help. As a favor, Thanaton had agreed to take the Cipher's mongrel daughter as an apprentice. To be honest, he had been surprised she managed to survive her trials on Korriban. Thanaton had been close to killing her himself, due to lack of usefulness, when she came into her own as a Sith.

Nommi quickly became Thanaton's most valued apprentice and managed to become a Lord within only a couple of years. The Sith pointed out that she was one of most brilliant strategic minds he had ever come across. This fact wasn't a surprise to Cipher Eight, since Chiss were highly prized for their critical thinking and planning skills. Even half breeds.

The Agent did not love my daughter's mother and honestly didn't feel much for his daughter, either, or so he had thought. When he heard of the destruction of the Doomsday and death of Nommi, he was troubled more than he wanted to admit by her demise. She may have been a half breed, who looked a great deal more like her mother's species than his own, but she was still half him genetically.

The question now was, why was the Darth contacting him. He was positive he had done nothing which would spur a Sith temper tantrum. A Sith in a bad mood was a dangerous thing and the Cipher very much did not wish to die today.

XXX

It took ten hours to get to Dromund Kaas. Cipher Eight took a shuttle directly to the Sith Sanctum and reported to Darth Thanaton's all too familiar chambers. The Sith was sitting behind a large desk. The desk was totally empty. Thanaton looked to be deep in thought, but looked up as the other man approached.

"Ah, Cipher. Please, enter. I have some most interesting news to share with you."

The Chiss stood before the Sith, relaxed and steady. It was a trick he had learned early on when dealing with Sith. They respected strength.

"It seems our Lord Nommi is still alive."

"My Lord?" Cipher asked.

"You are one of only a handful of people aware of the attack plan Lord Nommi mapped out to take Tython. That plan was carried out and failed. There have been witnesses coming forward who indicate that my deceased apprentice is the reason why the plan failed. She was seen helping the Jedi defend their academy. If she did not know the plan was happening, then she must have been on the planet at the time of the attack."

Thanaton stood and walked around his desk, so he was standing only a foot away from the Agent. "We thought she died tragically in an explosion, where she really was captured. Or worse, she was responsible for the destruction of the Doomsday and she is a traitor. Either way, we can not let her actions on Tython stand."

"I agree, my Lord. What do you command?"

"You see, having an apprentice defect is a great shame to my name. It weakens my power base and I will not stand for it. You are to quietly find and capture Lord Nommi, so she can be interrogated on her part of this outrage and properly...punished."

The Agent hid a shiver. Being punished by a Sith was not something you wanted to experience, or so he had been told. If you were lucky, you died quickly. Darth Thanaton was not one for quick."

Cipher Eight nodded. "I will track down my daughter and bring her to you. If she is indeed a traitor, then she deserves whatever punishment you see fit."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye on this, Agent. Now go, find my apprentice. Do not return to Dromund Kaas without her."

Cipher Eight nodded, then turned sharply and left the Sith's chambers. He did not relax until we was well past the Sanctum.

His daughter, a traitor. It had to be her mother's doing. He knew it was a mistake allowing her to go to Korriban with the child. This angered him. The Agent had shown sympathy to a mother who was losing her daughter and all it got him was a traitor.

Inspired by anger, Cipher Eight returned to his ship and began to research everything he could about the recent attempt to take Tython. It would take time, but he would find his daughter and bring her to justice.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	17. Chapter 17

Next chapter up. Sorry my updates have been so sporadic as of late. I've been very busy. Thanks for reading.

* * *

It took a full two weeks for quinn to recover fully, not including one week in a kolto bath. The wound turned out to be far deeper and more severe than originally diagnosed. The trip to the council chambers had probably done more harm than good.

During her recovery, Planka wouldn't allow any of the council members to spend any more than a minute or two with her, before shooing them out.

Jerel decided to wait until she was fully recovered and released from the medcenter before offering her a place by his side as his padawan. He was mildly concerned she would not accept the offer, since she had never expressed an interest in being a Jedi. Quinn only ever wanted peace. He honestly couldn't blame her if she refused, but he hoped she would accept. In Jerel's opinion, Quinn would make an outstanding Jedi, if she could learn to deal with her anger in a more healthy way. Even he had to admit that her dark side was a bit terrifying to witness and taking her on as a learner would be a challenge for even the most seasoned of masters.

Jerel was in his meditation chambers when Planka entered, still stressed, but in a far better mood than she had been after the attack.

"I'm releasing Quinn from my care, Jerel. If you'd like to escort her to her new quarters, you are welcome to, otherwise, I'll have one of my padawans do it."

Jerel got up from the floor. "I'll do it." He said, walking over to the far wall, and taking a small chest off of one of the many shelves.

He placed the chest under his arm and followed Planka to the medcenter, which thankfully, was far less busy than it had been the last time he was there. Most of the injured had been healed and dismissed, leaving only the worst wounded still recovering.

Quinn sat on one of the medical beds, her legs folded under her in an all too familiar meditation position. She opened her eyes when they approached, smiling at Jerel.

"Nice to see you, Master Jedi. I'm assuming, since there are no veins popping out of Planka's neck, that you have permission to speak with me."

"I'm actually here to spring you from the medcenter."

"Really?" Quinn asked, looking over at the healer.

"You're as good as new. No point in you taking up valuable space here." She confirmed. She took Quinn's hand. "Stay out of trouble."

"I will certainly try." Quinn said.

Planka left Jerel and Quinn alone, going back to her work.

"So, are you going to escort me back home?" She asked Jerel, unfolding herself and standing by the bed. She was once again dressed in simple robes.

"In a matter of speaking. Please follow me." He said, moving to leave the medcenter. Quinn followed him eagerly..

"I'd like to thank you for saving my life, during the battle." Jerel said, meandering slowing through the vast hallways.

Quinn shrugged. "I couldn't let you die. You're the closest thing I have to a friend, though I think my method of rescue might have rattled a few cages."

Jerel chuckled. "I have to admit, it is unsettling to witness a Sith's lightning power up close and personal, even if it's not directed at me."

"It was the only thing I could think to do."

Jerel stopped and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. You did what you had to and no one blames you for that. I certainly appreciated the rescue." He started walking again and remained silent until they had entered a small room next to his meditation chambers.

"Where are we?" Quinn asked.

"These are your new quarters." Jerel said, moving back so Quinn could enter.

"You're letting me live in the temple?"

"Yes, but there is more. I know you have never formally requested to learn the ways of the Jedi, but if you are interested, I'd like to take you as my padawan. You can start the process of learning to become a Jedi."

Quinn stood silently.

"Consider this offer carefully. Training to be a Jedi is not easy. It will require you to unlearn a great deal of Sith teaching, but if you are willing to learn, I'm willing to teach."

Quinn sat in the only chair in the room, looking down at her hands "If you had asked me a month ago, I would have declined your offer. All I have ever wanted was to be left in peace. After the last few weeks, however, I think I might just have a bigger role to play in the universe, regardless of my insecurities." She looked up at the Jedi. "I accept."

"Excellent." Jerel said, pulling the small chest out from under his arm and handing it to Quinn.

"What's this?" She asked, opening the lid to find her lightsabers.

"Normally a padawan is not allowed to carry a lightsaber until they are skilled enough in the Force to build their own. I think we can skip that part of the training."

Quinn pulled the weapons out of the chest, holding the larger of the two blades in her dominant right hand, and the smaller in her left. The weight was comforting and familiar. "If it makes you feel any better, I did build both these lightsabers. I went through dozens of designs, crystal configurations and power levels before I managed to make the perfect weapons for my fighting style. A great deal of time during my early years as an apprentice to Darth Thanaton was spent perfecting my saber technique with weapons to match."

"I look forward to seeing what you can do with your own weapons. If you feel up for it, I'd like to take a walk around the grounds. This will give you a chance to get acclimated to where everything is and also to get you outside. You've been restricted to the medcenter for weeks."

Quinn hopped up from her chair. "You have no idea how much I want to go outside."

"After you." he motioned towards the door.

Quinn hooked both her lightsabers to her belt, savoring their familiar feel against her hips. It brought her confidence to have her weapons back, but it also scared her. She knew the Jedi masters were taking a risk, allowing her to be armed and be trained as one of them. She only hoped she could live up to their expectations.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	18. Chapter 18

Hello all. The next chapter is up. I'm having less and less time to update, as of late, but I try. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Jerel paced up and down the training field, mentally preparing himself for the trial to come. This was meant to be a trial for Quinn, but the Jedi master truly believe this would be a trail for himself, as well. He was no slouch with a lightsaber, having been fairly naturally gifted with his weapon as a padawan, but nothing ever prepared you for fighting a fully trained Sith. True, Quinn was not Sith anymore and would not be trying to kill him, but that knowledge didn't change the fact that she had been trained to fight as a Sith.

Quinn stood on the opposite side of the field, a lightsaber in each hand. Along the side, halfway between them, stood several Jedi, including Master Satele and Master Kaedan. They had all been curious to see what Quinn could do with a lightsaber. They got to see some of her fighting skills during the invasion of Tython, but she had been using a borrowed weapon. You were always better with your own weapon, or in Quinn's case, weapons.

"Are you prepared, Quinn?" Jerel asked, igniting his lightsaber.

Quinn nodded, igniting both of hers.

Where Jerel's weapon was a brilliant azure color, Quinn's were both bright red. The blade in her left hand was several inches shorter than the other. She took a balanced stance, holding the left hand blade in front of her, positioning the right hand out to her right side.

Jerel saluted her with his weapon, then charged. Quinn was ready for the advance, pivoting out of the way and countering with her own advance.

This was not a sparring match between master and student. This was a fight between two masters of the lightsaber. Jedi versus Sith.

Masters Satele and Kaedan watched on, fascinated at the exchange. Both masters were renowned for their skills in battle and had fought Sith on several occasions, but this was different. It was a rare opportunity to watch a Stih fight, without having to worry about their own safety and the safety of those around them. No Force tricks were being used, giving them an opportunity to truly observe a pure lightsaber duel.

The fight lasted for almost twenty minutes, neither side gaining the upper hand for long. Without a clear winning blow, the two combatants stopped at almost the same time, as if it had been agreed upon. Both were breathing hard as they closed down their weapons.

"You're very good." Quinn said, strapping both weapons to her belt.

"As are you. You have a very balanced technique. It's rare to find a Force user who can wield two weapons effectively." Jerel commented, also attaching his weapon to his belt.

"I wasn't always this good." Quinn said.

Satele and Kaedan approached them as the remaining spectators drifted off in various directions.

"I was trained to use only one weapon on Korriban. Saying I wasn't very good would be an understatement. I was just not comfortable with a lightsaber in my hand."

"What changed?" Satele asked.

"When I became Darth Thanaton's apprentice, he pretty much let me do as I wished. I think he took me on as a favor to my father. Over the first two years with him, I began to study saber construction, lore and techniques. During my research, I discovered that most Jedi and Sith of smaller stature, such as myself, used either double bladed sabers or a single blade in each hand. The weapons allowed for higher effectiveness with less physical strength. I taught myself how to build lightsabers, then built myself a double bladed weapon."

Quinn chuckled. "I remember my first few attempts to use it. I almost cut off my own leg. That was when I started experimenting with two blades. I began changing the size and power of the two weapons until I got the right combination. The right hand weapon is larger and less powerful, since my right arm is stronger. The left hand weapon is smaller, with a shorter blade and a more powerful crystal configuration. With some practice, I actually got quite good."

"I'm guessing this impressed your master?" Jerel asked. He was impressed by Quinn's experimentation to gain knowledge. Most Jedi were either good with a lightsaber or they weren't. Few bothered to try various techniques until they found one that maximized their fighting potential. Not to mention, few built multiple lightsabers. Usually you only built a new one, when the first one was lost. Quinn had built several while she was just an apprentice.

"Not really. He only noticed when he tried to kill me and I was able to hold my own against him for a few minutes."

"Kill you? Why would a master try to kill his apprentice?" Kaedan asked.

Quinn shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe he was tired of me just being dead weight. Maybe there weren't any good dangerous missions available to send me on, so I could kill myself off. Needless to say, when he discovered my new found form and learned I gained the knowledge on my own, he started to send me out on missions to test my abilities. I became one of his most trusted apprentices. He learned I had a much better mind than originally believed. I know, it's odd how the Sith work."

"Well, it's impressive, none the less." Satele said, looking over at Jerel. "If it's alright with your master, I'd like to have you help some of our less talented melee students. Maybe talking with you will inspire them. The more well trained Jedi fighters we have, the better it will be for the order, in general."

Jerel nodded. "It's fine with me, Master. It's not like I need to schedule melee practice with Quinn."

"And I'd be happy to help them out." Quinn replied, happy to have a place with the order, even as a padawan.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	19. Chapter 19

Greetings readers! I've been having a hard time finding time to update. I've been playing the game more than writing the fiction as of late, but I promise I'll try to do better in the future. Hope you're enjoying.

* * *

Jerel finished inputting the coordinates for Coruscant and placed the ship on Autopilot. Once underway, he stopped in the galley, getting two cups of tea, then headed towards the ship's medbay. He walked in to find Quinn administering first aid to a minor blaster wound on her left arm.

Jerel's first off world mission with Quinn as his padawan had been a success. They were to recapture encrypted materials from an imperial strike team on Taris. The materials contained the first successful formula to eradicate the rakghoul plague and the Empire was desperate to prevent a cure from reaching fruition.

The mission had gone off without a hitch, the only injury being from a lucky blaster shot from a dying Imperial. The bolt would have been a killing shot, but Quinn jumped out of the way in time, suffering only a graze.

"How's your arm?" Jerel asked, placing the tea meant for Quinn on the table next to the medical bed she was propped up against.

"Not bad. Barely a graze, really. It was a rookie mistake, assuming someone was dead and not actually checking." Quinn replied with a sigh, sounding slightly disappointed in herself for getting injured.

"Don't beat yourself up. Neither of us saw it coming. We'll take it as the learning experience it is. Anything you survive will only make you stronger and smarter."

Quinn chuckled. "You're right, of course. I'm still not use to thinking like a Jedi. The Sith aren't big on learning from their mistakes."

Jerel approach his padawan, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get there, Quinn."

A light on the control panel in the medbay began to blink, indicating a holo was coming in. Jerel, left the medbay, taking the call at the main holotable. A holo image of Major Deshan appeared before him.

"Master Jerel, I hear your mission on Taris went well."

Jerel nodded. "Indeed it did. As far as I'm concerned, any mission you can walk away from on Taris is a success."

The Major chuckled. "Too true, Master Jedi."

"What can I do for you, Major?"

"Actually, I was hoping to get a chance to speak with Quinn. We're currently planning a maneuver which she might be able to help us with, considering her history with the Empire. I hear you're heading back to Coruscant to be debriefed on your mission and deliver the rakghoul cure. Havoc is on planet. I'll track you down after your debrief."

Master Jerel nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Major. We'll see you on Coruscant."

The major nodded and the holo went silent.

"Did I hear that correctly?" Quinn asked, appearing around the corner.

"You did. Not really a surprise." Jerel said, taking a seat while Quinn remained leaning against the doorway. "You were a Sith Lord for a long time. You served the Empire for a long time. I'm surprised the Republic hasn't approached you sooner about what you know."

Quinn shrugged. "I'm more than willing to tell them anything they want to know. I certainly have no allegiance to the Empire anymore and have no reason to keep their secrets."

"It sounds like they're planning something big, particularly if Havoc is involved. We're on the way to Coruscant anyway. Sounds like you might become popular."

Quinn cringed. She didn't necessarily like being popular, but she was finding being a Jedi quite rewarding. She discovered it felt good to help people, rather than crush them under her boot. "If I can help, then being in the hotseat will be worth it."

Jerel raised his cup, saluting his padawan. "Now you're thinking like a Jedi."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	20. Chapter 20

Greetings all. Sorry for the long wait, but here's a new chapter. I don't like it much, but it's kinda a transition chapter. Hope you enjoy anyway.

* * *

Jerel and Quinn sat alone in one of Coruscant's many council rooms, waiting for Major Dashan to arrive. They had already given their debriefing on the Taris mission to the Senate and the science division had relieved them of the cure. Though neither would admit it, they were enjoying being on a civilized planet.

After about ten minutes, Major Deshan entered, along with General Garza. They both had very serious looks on their faces.

"Thank you both for meeting with us." The general began. "I know you just returned from Taris, so we will make this as brief as possible. I hear you were once the Sith Lord responsible for Imperial weapons development." She asked, turning to Quinn.

Quinn nodded. "That's correct, General."

"Do you have any knowledge of a space station known as The Blade's Run?"

"I do. I spent the better part of a year on that station. The dark council always insisted on having a Sith keep an eye on anything new and interesting coming out of it. The place is like a maze and a deathtrap all in one."

"Well, Havoc squad's next mission is to take the station. We plan to shut them down and take anything useful we can find. Your knowledge will be crucial to our success. Not to mention, your eye for strategy will come in handy while we plan our assault." The Major said.

"That is, if the Jedi council agrees to lend us one of their padawans." The general said, looking at Master Jerel.

Jerel shrugged. "I don't see why not. I knew when I asked Quinn to be my padawan that her training would not be traditional. If her knowledge and experiences can help with this mission, I think the council will happily allow Quinn to have a temporary assignment to Havoc squad. As her master, I think she's ready for some solo missions."

"I appreciate the confidence you place in me, Master. I will not disappoint you." Quinn replied.

"Excellent." The general said. "The mission will be on hold for a few weeks, while we plan the assault. I will arrange quarters for you, during that time."

Quinn nodded and the general and major left the two Jedi alone.

Jerel leaned back in his seat. "Do you feel ready to do something like this? Be honest. My beliefs are irrelevant if you don't share them and I don't wish to push you into an action you're not ready for. You have only been a padawan for a short time."

"I can do this, master. I'm eager for my knowledge of the Empire to help do some good."

Jerel nodded, standing. "Very well. I will return to Tython and inform the council. I only ask that you check in with me as often as you can. You are still my padawan and I will always feel responsible for you."

Quinn stood and followed her master out of the room.

"I will, master." She replied. Secretly excited for the task she had been given.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry so long since an update. Been insane at work. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Havoc squad was sitting around a holotable, discussing attack strategy, when Quinn entered the room. Every member of the squad had been present during Quinn's defection on the Doomsday. No doubt they all remembered her, since she had a very unique appearance.

"You all remember, Quinn, I'm sure." Major Deshan said. "She has agreed to assist us on our mission. As for formal introductions..." The Major glanced around the room.

"This is Lieutenant Elara Dorne, our medic."

"Pleased to meet you, Quinn. I look forward to working with you." Dorne replied.

Quinn noted the Imperial accent and was slightly relieve to not be the only person in the room with one.

"This is our battle droid, M1-4X." The droid saluted.

"This is our explosives expert, Specialist Tanno Vik." Vik nodded.

"Technician Sergeant Yuun." Another nod.

"And finally, you remember my XO, Captain Aric Jorgan."

"It's nice to see you again, Captain." Quinn said.

"Likewise." Aric replied.

"Now that we're all here, we can get down to business."

"I've got a question for Quinn, Sir." Vik said, leaning back further in his chair. The Major wasn't surprised by Vik's need to ask questions. The weequay liked to give people a hard time. "You're the Sith we captured on the Doomsday, correct."

Quinn nodded. "I am."

"Wouldn't bringing a Sith along for this mission compromise things?" He asked.

Before the Major could respond, Quinn spoke up.

"One, I'm not Sith anymore. I'm currently in training to become a Jedi. And two, I oversaw everything that happened on that station for the better part of a year. It's not only a heavily guarded space station, it's also a maze. If you pick the wrong path, you'll run into the weapons which are developed there. The place is set up to test a good portion of the new projects on small scale before they're sent out for large scale testing. The booby traps change on occasion, as do the safe hallways and passages. There are visual indications used to verify the safe paths, which do not change. I know the safe way to get to the control center and working areas of the station. Do you?"

"So, they actually use the station to test the weapons? On who?" Jorgan asked, Vik's objection all but forgotten. The Cathar had little patience for his squad mate's personality and longed to get on with the mission.

"The Empire would ship in prisoners destined for execution or soldiers who screwed up too badly to keep around. It was said that if you were were shipped to Blade's Run, you were either being given a massive promotion or a death sentence, depending on which path you were given when you arrived."

"I knew a few soldiers who were sent there. Never heard from them again." Dorne added. "It sounds like something the Empire would do."

Quinn took a seat at the table. "Actually, it was the Dark Council's idea to use the station as a testing ground. It's the reason why a Sith overseer runs the place. They don't refer to it as the Sith Empire for nothing. The military didn't like it much, but you don't argue with the Dark Council."

"This is going to be tricky. Blowing the place up from outside is sounding better and better." Vik added.

"Except, we want to get our hands on what they're working on inside. Some of it might already be active. I, for one, would love to know what they have on file." Jorgan said.

"It's the motherload." Quinn said, looking to Aric. "The station has historical files of every weapon designed or tested there. If we can get our hands on their historical records, we could benefit greatly. The good news is, if we can get past the booby trapped maze, the station is mainly manned by scientists. A few soldiers and at least one Sith, but not much else. It's main defenses are it's armoring and deathtrap of an entrance."

"Okay then. Let's get to work." The Major said, taking a seat at the table.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	22. Chapter 22

New chapter up. Sorry it took so long. Enjoy and thanks for reading

* * *

Quinn left the room several hours later, tired, but oddly satisfied. When it came down to it, she was a planner, not a fighter. This mission was right up her alley and she was genuinely enjoying it.

She was almost half way back to her temporary quarters, when Aric caught up to her.

"Hey, Quinn. I didn't get a chance to talk to you. I wanted to see how your recovery went. You were in rough shape the last time I saw you."

Quinn smiled, slowing her pace so the Captain could walk beside her. "Yeah, getting almost cut in half by a lightsaber is not a fun injury. I'm pretty much healed, though. I just have a bit of a scar. I do healing meditations to fade it. Physically, I'm back in fighting form."

"That's good to hear. This mission is going to be a doozy, even if everything goes right."

Quinn nodded. "Your squad is lucky to have me coming along. I may not be much of a fighter, but I think in this case, my mind will prove to be a far better weapon. The station is no laughing matter."

"We're glad to have your knowledge for this one. I'm not really in the mood to die yet."

Quinn chuckled. "Good to hear. Glad I'm not teaming up with suicidal madmen."

They walked in silence until they arrived at Quinn's quarters.

XXX

The next few weeks went by swiftly. The Blade's Run assault plan was completed and Havoc squad was speeding on the way to a small moon next to the station. They planned to use the moon and some revamped deflectors to sneak onto the station.

"You're sure this is going to work?" Asked Jorgan.

Quinn shrugged. "As long as the station is still using multiphasic sensors. As far as I know, this station is the only Imperial instalation who does. The modifications made to this ship should make us invisible to their scans, though once we're on board, it'll only be a matter of seconds until we're detected. Let's hope they still run this place with a minimum crew."

"I've learned nothing we do is ever easy." Said the Major. "Are we ready to take ourselves a space station?"

There was a sea of yes sirs.

"Captain, take us in." She said.

Captain Jorgan navigated the ship expertly along a straight path, directly to the access hanger. Yuun sent out a code and the door to the hanger opened. Their ship entered the hanger smoothly and Yuun sent another code, forcing the door to close and lock. The hanger was empty, just as they hoped it would be. Their entrance into the station was just as Quinn said it would be, as well. So far, so good.

"We probably won't see any resistance until we get closer to the safe zones. We need to hurry, though, before they call for reinforcements. There is a Sith onboard, I can feel him." Quinn said.

"So, it's a safe bet he can feel you, too?" Deshan asked.

Quinn nodded. "The Sith won't be some apprentice, either. He'll be a Lord, possibly even a Darth. When the time comes, you and your team worry about the mission, I'll handle the Sith."

"You sure you can match a Darth?" Vik asked, with an edge to his voice. He really didn't like Quinn much and wasn't afraid to voice his opinion. You couldn't really blame him. Trust was earned and Quinn had been a Sith, after all.

"I guess we'll find out. Just don't panic if I start doing Sith like maneuvers. I'm still working on fighting as a Jedi. In tough situations, I still revert to my old ways. Don't worry, Vik. I was once a Sith Lord. I earned the title. I can handle myself. You just worry about your job."

Quinn hide it well, but she was nervous. She wasn't the best fighter, but had been learning since signing on as Master Jerel's padawan. The only bad thing was that she still slipped into old habits when fighting. Retraining muscle memory took time and the temptation to slip back to the darkside was always in the back of her mind.

"Enough talk, let's move." Deshan said. "Quinn you got point."

Quinn took both her lightsabers from her belt, but kept them closed down. She looked to the top of the three hallways before them, turning to proceed down the one with a glowing yellow light. They walked steadily down hallway after hallway, each one illuminated by a different colored light. The lights seemed to indicate which path to take, but none of Havoc could see any rhyme or reason to the path.

After about ten minutes, Quinn stopped at a heavy blast door. "This is the entrance to the main control room. We got a dozen or so soldiers behind this door. Not sure where the Sith is. He's hiding from me, at the moment, meaning he's most likely very powerful. Hiding a Force signature from another Force user is difficult."

The team stood on either side of the door as Quinn cut around the door with her lightsaber, literally cutting it out. Once the door was cut, 4X replaced Quinn at the door and gave it one good shove. The door fell away and the blaster fire started.

The blaster fire was no match for the droid's armer and the rest of the team entered the room using the droid as cover, taking out the six soldiers firing with ease. The remaining bodies were obviously scientists, since they were cowering, rather than fighting. The squad rounded up The scientists and Yuun began to secure the computers, canceling the attempt to call for help, which hadn't been sent, do to a jamming frequency they had set up on their approach to the station.

It was then that more blaster fire erupted from the upper level of the room and a voice began to speak. The voice came from a cloaked figured at the top of the stairway. He held an ignited lightsaber with a red blade.

"So, the Republic has become so bold as to think they could just walk right in here and take what is ours. I was amazed you managed to get this far, then I saw you had a traiter guiding you. Back from the grave, I see Lord Nommi."

"You can't win this fight, Darth Brago. Surrender and we'll let you live."

Brago laughed. "Don't make me laugh. You were never a match for me, even as a Lord. Now you;re nothing. A fly to be swatted. I can feel the weakness rolling off you."

The Darth used the Force to knock back Havoc squad, then lept at Quinn, who ignited her weapons and engaged her attacker. The soldiers behind the Sith began to open fire again.

Quinn lost all sense of the room around her as she fought Darth Brago. He had been in the running to command this post when Quinn had taken over. There was a great many hurt feelings from the exchange. Losing a coveted posting such as this one to a younger, less powerful Sith, was a slap in the face. Like most Sith, Brago didn't take rejection well. Add in the fact that he was a Pureblood Sith and Nommi was merely a mangral child and the insult was amplified.

The battle raged, the Force users fought at the far end of the room, as the soldiers exchanged fire.

"You are weak, Nommi. Even as a Sith, you could never match me. I can see you have been training to be a Jedi. Your technique is sloppy. Poor choice." Brago said, managing to get ahold of Quinn around the neck using the Force.

Quinn didn't struggle, she simply calmed herself, focusing in on the invisible hand around her throat, doing her best to prevent it from crushing her windpipe. At the same time, a blaster bolt shot out towards the Darth, being projected back towards its origin. Quinn could hear it impact with one of her people. She growled, her red glowing eyes glowing just a tad brighter.

The blaster bolt served to distract the Darth, allowing Quinn to focus on her own throat, opening an airway just enough to allow her to take one good breath, then using all of her strength, she pushed Brago away, knocking him back several feet. She then threw a few loose objects at him, which he deflected easily."

"Is that all you can do? Silly Jedi tricks!" He yelled.

Quinn threw another object, preparing to leap. At the last minute, while the Darth deflected the object, she dropped one of her lightsabers and shot a bolt of lighting at him. Being unprepared for the Sith tactic, Brago was off balance.

The Sith shot a bolt of lightning of his own at his attacker, connecting with Quinn's chest, but the action was a fraction too late, as her lightsaber impacted him through the chest.

The Darth crumbled to the ground and Quinn was able to breath again, taking in several deep breaths between coughs. Her chest stung where the lightning had stuck her, leaving severe burns. She only paused for a moment, though, regaining her composure and leaping onto the second level, recalling her dropped weapon to her hand. In moments, the remaining offence was cut down, leaving only Havoc squad and a handful of scientists alive.

Quinn looked down from the upper level at her team, leaning against the railing. Aric was on the ground, his breastplate removed as Dorne tended to a wound on his side. Quinn leap back down to the main level, kneeling by the injured man.

"I take it you were the one who fired the shot." She said.

Aric growned. "Hell of alot of good it did me. Damn Sith reflected it back right through the opening on my armer."

"Well, the attempt allowed me the window I needed to break free of him before I blacked out. Thanks for that."

Aric chuckled. "Well, guess it was worth it afterall."

"You're hurt." Dorne said, looking at the scorch marks on Quinn's armer, knowing marks like those would mean she was no doubt burned beneath it from the heat of the lighting strike heating the armor.

"A little toasted, but not bad. I'll live." Quinn replied.

"Sir, our ships are requesting an all clear to dock and take over the station." Yuun said.

"Let them in, but warn them to be cautious. There could be more soldiers." The Major replied.

"Your men are going to die. They'll never get passed the traps, even if your team did." Said one of the scientists.

Quinn smiled at the scientist. She remembered him from when she was in command of the station. He was the one who always talked big, but was a coward at heart. He only picked a fight if he knew he was going to win.

"Actually, they won't." Quinn replied, taking seat at the terminal beside Yuun. She hit a few buttons and they could all hear the power in the station fluctuate, like something big had been turned off. "The station should be safe to walk through, Major. I turned off the active defenses and traps."

"You traitorous bitch." Said the scientist, standing and taking a few steps closer to Quinn. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised, you being just a furball and all."

Quinn stood slowly, growling under her breath. "You seem to forget who I am." She glared at him, walking slowly towards him.

The scientist began to choke, as invisible hands tightened around his neck. The other scientists backed away as Quinn stood over her victim. "You were always mouthy. Always a fool. Never had any respect for your betters."

"Quinn, release him." The Major ordered, but to no avail. If Quinn heard the order, she didn't respond.

Aric stood, with Dorne's help, and hobbled over to Quinn, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Stop, Quinn. This isn't you anymore. Fight it." He said quietly. It wasn't an order, but a call to reason.

At first it looked like Quinn was going to ignore Jorgan also, but after a few seconds, the scientist slumped to the ground, gasping in breaths as the invisible hand was removed. Quinn turned away, her eyes closed. She was taking long, deep breaths. She opened her eyes and Aric could see the darkness fade. The dark veins just visible under her white fur around her eyes began to retreat.

The Major relaxed, removing her finger from the trigger of her weapon. "Dorne, go ahead and escort Jorgan and Quinn back to the ship and get them patched up."

"Yes, sir." Dorne said, knowing Quinn's return to the ship was for more than a medical reason.

Quinn said nothing, just turned and followed Dorne without complain. The Major watched her leave and sighed.

Master Jerel had warned her to keep an eye on Quinn, if she ended up fighting. The former Sith was still fighting her own personal demons and tended to slip back into old habits when provoked beyond her current skill level. Turned out it wasn't the fight, but a loose lipped fool she had to watch out for.

It was obvious, though no longer Sith, Quinn was not yet a Jedi.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 up. Enjoy! Thanks for reading.

* * *

After getting treated for a semi-severe burn to her chest, Quinn retreated to her room on board Havoc's ship. She sat, meditating for an undefined amount of time. She'd lost it back in the control room. She'd regressed to the Sith she used to be. True, Aric had been able to pull her back, but she still gave in to the darkside. If the Major had tried to physically stop her, Quinn would've attacked her. Her lack of control scared Quinn more than she wanted to admit. Her door beeped.

"Come in." She said calmly, not opening her eyes to see who was visiting her.

"You alright?" Asked Major Deshan cautiously.

"Depends. If you're asking if I'm going to go on a murderous, darkside fueled rampage? No I'm not. Am I comfortable with how I conducted myself earlier? No, I'm not. Will I be Alright, in the long run? Yes, I think I will."

The Major took a seat at the small desk at the far end of the room, allowing the door to close.

Quinn sighed, turning to face the Major.

"I've been a Sith for so long, sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to fully turn to the light."

"You'll get there. Besides, contrary to what Jedi like to preach, the world isn't just dark and light. There are grey areas and if you hadn't pulled power from one of those areas, our mission might not have succeeded. Jedi believe this, even if they don't say it out loud. Why else would Jedi plan for peace, but always carry a lightsaber?"

Quinn nodded.

Deshan got up and opened the door. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You did well. Oh, and when you get a moment, you might want to visit Jorgan. He's being a terrible patient, as usual, and Dorne would love some help distracting him, even if she won't ask for it."

The Major left, feeling confident that none of her team was in any danger from Quinn. For a moment there, she was concerned she was going to be forced to shoot Quinn. The last thing a commanding office wants to do is shoot one of her own.

XXX

"Will you back off, I'm fine!" Jorgan said, trying to leave the medical bay of their ship for the tenth time. Dorne kept returning him to his bed, saying she had one more test to run.

"You're not fine, Aric. You were shot."

"Not the first time and won't be the last." He replied, allowing Dorne to push him back to the bed, but he refused to sit on it.

"Stop being difficult. You got shot. That's a big deal." Quinn said, entering the room.

Jorgan pointed at Quinn. "She got shot by lightning. Why's she not being confined to the medical bay?"

Dorne sighed. "Because her armor took the bulk of the blast and I knew if I told her to go to her quarters and rest, she would. Unlike you, who would go back to the space station. You don't know how to be injured, Captain."

"And I'm an old hat at being injured. Almost sliced in half, remember?" Quinn added.

Jorgan growled. "The Major asked you to check up on me, didn't she. You three are ganging up on me."

Quinn Shrugged. "Maybe. I figured I could hangout in here and keep you company."

"And help pin me down in here, so Dorne could go do other stuff." Jorgan grumbled under his breath.

"I could Force persuade you to think you want to stay in the medbay." Quinn threatened.

"Does that actually work?" Dorne asked, curious.

"It does indeed. I haven't been doing much of it, since it's a borderline darkside talent, but I have used it in the past, with great success. It works best on the weak minded, but even strong minded individuals can be susceptible, if they're not prepared."

"You'll need to demonstrate it sometime." Dorne said. "I've always wanted to see how that works."

"I'm sure I can arrange it. For now, just go back to the station. I'll keep the Captain in line."

Dorne looked between them, then nodded and left the medbay.

"You're really going to make me stay here, aren't' you." It wasn't a question.

Quinn chuckled. "Is my company really that bad?" She hopped up onto the bed, allowing her legs to swing freely.

Aric sighed in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest. He realized he had lost and he hated it.

Quinn looked down at her lap, then back up at the Captain. "Thanks, for your help back there."

"Distracting the Sith was nothing."

Quinn shook her head. "No, not the shot. The other thing." The thought of what she'd almost done to the scientist kept running through her head. She had almost fallen, but had been pulled back at the last second by Aric. For some reason he'd been able to break through, where the Major failed.

Aric turned to Quinn, making full eye contact. "What you're doing, learning how to be Jedi after years of training as Sith, it's not an easy task. You're gonna slip sometimes. That much programming will take time to unlearn. That's why you keep people like Master Jerel, people like me, around to help pull you back when you start to slip. The important thing is you stopped before the Major shot you. You snapped out of it almost instantly when I spoke. That takes strength."

Quinn closed her eyes. "I wish I felt strong."

Quinn opened her eyes when she felt Aric place a hand on each of her shoulders. "You are strong. You'll get there. With time and patience, you'll make it."

"You sound like Master Jerel."

Aric shrugged. "Great minds think alike, I guess."

Quinn scooted up onto the bed, so she was lying down. She rested her hands on her stomach, avoiding her healing burns and slowed her breathing. "Being good is exhausting."

Aric chuckled, walking across the room to take a seat at a computer terminal. By the time he sat down, he could tell Quinn had either fallen asleep or was in a deep meditative state. He turned to the computer terminal and began to prepare the paperwork for the report they'd need to give to the General. True, he could probably slip out of the medbay while Quinn slept, but he didn't want to make her life any more difficult. Her life was complicated enough.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	24. Chapter 24

New chapter up. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Master Jerel sat alone in his meditation chamber, waiting patiently for his padawan to return from her mission with Havoc squad. He'd been sent a copy of the report from the mission, noting that Quinn had slipped slightly, using lightning on a Sith during battle, but hadn't fallen. It even sounded like she had used the lightning as a distraction in unison with telekinesis. It had been more of a strategic move than a slip. Either way, the mission had been a success with only minor injuries.

There was a chime at his door.

"Enter." Jerel replied.

He'd been expecting Quinn, but instead Captain Jorgan walked in.

"Well, Captain. This is a surprise. Is something wrong?" Jerel asked, standing to greet his guest.

"I was hoping to talk with you for a few minutes before you see Quinn. Something happened during the mission that was left out of the official report. I guess you could say it was a close call with Quinn. The Major and I decided to inform you and then you can decide if it's something to bring up with the Jedi council."

"Please continue." Jerel said, worried.

"After she fought and defeated the Sith, there was a scientist who was egging her on. He spoke to her in a way which no sane man would speak, considering Quinn is a former Sith. He knew Quinn from when she was the commander of the station, apparently. She nearly choked him to dead. You couldn't see it well, but her face started to show some of the corruption you see in Sith. She didn't stop her assault when the Major ordered her to release him, but she did stop when I talked to her. She didn't kill the man, but it was close."

Jorgan paced to the other side of the room.

"The incident really didn't affect the mission, so we decided to leave it out of the report, but I thought it was important to tell you, being her Master."

"How did she respond afterwards?" Jerel asked.

Aric shrugged. "She was remorseful. Extremely disappointed in herself. I told her shifting sides like she's attempting to do is a very difficult thing and that she'll slip up. I told her that is why she goes on missions with you or Havoc. People who know her and can help her when she stumbles."

Jerel smiled at the Cathar. He could tell the Captain genuinely cared for Quinn. "You would've made an excellent Jedi, Captain. I thank you for bringing this to my attention and for your discretion. Where is Quinn now?"

"She should be in her quarters. The trip back was very exhausting for her. I don't think she's sleeping well."

Jerel nodded. "I will speak with her. Again, thank you for taking care of my padawan."

Aric nodded. "Thanks for letting us borrow her. She was a vital part of the mission. We might not have succeeded without her."

With a final nod of the head, the Captain left Jerel's chambers. Jerel waited for the door to close before taking a seat at his table with a sigh.

This was the kind of situation he'd been worrying about with Quinn out on her own. Using Sith abilities during a battle was one thing. Much of the moves used by any Force user are all a matter of muscle memory and training. Quinn would probably always use some of her Sith skills in combat.

Choking someone almost to death, after the fighting was over, was something else entirely. This was a genuine slip. It was also concerning that she wouldn't respond to Major Deshad when ordered to stop. It was interesting, however, that she responded to the Captain. Quinn had shown interest in other Cathars the day they had met on the Doomsday. It seemed she held a certain amount of respect to Aric. Jerel could understand how she would relate to him more than others.

Jerel stood and headed over to Quinn's chambers, entering once he heard a reply from inside the room. Quinn was seated on a rug on the floor, in her usual meditative position. He could feel his padawan was troubled.

"Welcome home, Quinn."

Quinn nodded. "Thank you, Master. Did you speak with Aric?"

"I did. He told me what happened. How are you coping?"

Quinn sighed, standing.

"I don't know, Master. I thought I was doing so well. It's hard finding out that it only takes a few bitter words from an outspoken scientist to send me back over the edge. It scared me. I know I should let go of my fear, but nothing terrifies me more that reverting back to what I once was."

Jerel placed a hand on each of Quinn's shoulders. "You're doing well. Following the light is not an easy task. I wish I could tell you that someday you'll be free of your darkside tendencies. You will never be totally free of them, but you'll learn to depend on them less and less. It'll be hard, but it'll be worth it, I can promise you this."

He released her and placed his arms behind his back.

"Fear is a natural part of life. A Jedi still feels fear, but doesn't let it dictate their actions. As you learn to control your anger, channel it in a healthy way, you'll fear yourself less. For now, We'll simply make sure you don't partake on any solo missions. This was a good test of your progress. Everything is a learning experience. Don't be hard on yourself. I'm extremely proud of you."

Quinn didn't fully believe Jerel, but she let the subject drop.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	25. Chapter 25

Nice little Master Satele Shan chapter for you. Enjoy.

* * *

"I like the idea." Master Satele said as she strolled through the training grounds. She watched as a group of padawans battled a training droid, doing their best to disable the machine with their training sabers.

Master Kaedan made a sound similar to a growl, causing Satele to look over at her fellow council member.

"I sense some contention." She said.

Kaedan sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not contention, but concern. Do I think it's a good idea to place at least one Jedi with every special forces unit in the Republic? Yes, I do. Particularly with the demise of the Emperor, I think it would be wise to place someone capable of sensing a Force apparition with every unit. Do we have the numbers for such an ambitious motion? Not really."

Satele nodded. "Our numbers are severely limited, I agree, but if the Emperor is only dead in physical form, and his signature in the Force is still capable of manifesting, can we really afford not to take every precaution with our armed forces?"

Kaedan chuckled. "At least when he was alive and locked up in his fortress, we knew where he was and there was little potential for him to pop up in random places. Now he could be anywhere. I just worry about spreading ourselves too thin in an attempt to anticipate his future actions."

"We must be careful with our dispersal, but I think it's important for the order and the military to work together. Particularly now, with things being so uncertain."

There was a moment of silence between the two masters. Master Satele knew the next topic of conversation, but she waited patiently for Kaedan to bring it up.

Kaedan cleared his throat.

"On a similar topic, what do you think of Havoc Squad's choice for their Jedi addition?"

Master Satele continued to look over the training ground. "I think Quinn could make a valuable asset to the squad. I understand why they requested her. She's helped them in the past. They trust her. I have found that building trust with a special forces squad can be a challenge."

"Do you think she's ready?" Kaedan asked.

Satele paused before answering, thinking back to her own experiences working with the Republic military. She had accomplished a great deal while fighting alongside them, but she had nearly fallen to the darkside in the process. She also got Theron out of the deal. He was a blessing and a complication she had not anticipated having in her life. Her own life experiences didn't help calm her mind about Quinn.

"We can't keep her here forever. Besides, it doesn't matter what we think, it's up to Quinn and Jerel to decide. There will always be risk, assigning someone touched by the darkside to a permanent post such as this one, but we can't keep her locked away on Tython. She's ready to get out there and face whatever trials await her, good or bad. Only time will reveal if she can follow the path of the light. She's not the first Sith we've managed to convert. Hopefully, she won't be the last."

Kaedan sighed again. "I hate it when you make this much sense. It makes it hard to argue with you."

Master Satele laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, my friend."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	26. Chapter 26

New chapter up. As always, thanks to everyone reading this tale. Enjoy.

* * *

Quinn made her way through the Jedi temple to Master Jerel's meditation chamber. She had been working with a young padawan on a double saber technique when she was summoned. She'd been Jerel's padawan for the better part of two years now and he very rarely summoned her, which made her worry. Even though she sensed his presence in his chamber, she couldn't tell if her summons was good or bad. It was always hard to tell with Jerel, since he masked his emotions well.

Upon entering his chamber, Quinn found her master sitting at his table, looking over a datapad.

"Ah, Quinn, thank you for coming. I hope I haven't interrupted anything too important."

Quinn shrugged, taking a seat in the chair across the room. "I was working with Lorron on his saber technique. I think using two blades will work out well for him, as long as he works on it and doesn't expect it to come to him overnight."

"Well, you're a good teacher. He'll get it." Jerel put his datapad down and turned to face Quinn. "Tell me, have you heard about what's been happening lately?"

"Do you mean about the Emperor being killed?"

Jerel nodded.

"Yes, I've heard, though I remain skeptical." She said.

"How so?"

Quinn leaned back in her chair. "Well, what you need to understand is that the Emperor is not like any other Sith or Jedi in existence. It's said he's lived for centuries and is impossible to kill. He conveyed his will through his various minions, his voice, his hands, his wrath, but he himself never personally acted on his own. Many members of the dark council honestly believed he was dead, but none of them were willing to put their necks on the line to test the theory. His physical body may be dead, but I doubt we've heard the last of him."

Jerel chuckled. "Well, Republic brass and the Jedi council agree with you. A new arrangement is being sought between us and the military. They wish to add a Jedi to all special forces units throughout the Republic military. The idea is that a Jedi should be able to sense the Emperor if his disembodied form pops up. The council has agreed with the idea, though the order is small in number."

"And how does this affect me?" Quinn asked.

"Well, it seems Major Deshan of Havoc Squad has requested you join her team. You must have made an impression the last time you worked with them."

Quinn had a shocked look on her face.

"I can't imagine it was a good impression, since I ignored the Major's orders and almost killed an unarmed scientist."

"Yes, but you also lead the team to success on a particularly dangerous mission. Havoc has always been a squad focused on results and taking whatever risks necessary to get the job done."

Quinn rested her elbows on her knees and leaned forward. "I'm not even a Jedi."

Jerel smiled at his padawan. "Technically, you're still a padawan, that's true. However, you're not an ordinary padawan, just learning the ways of the Force. You're powerful and are now tempered by the light. If you wish the accept the invitation to join Havoc squad, I will not object. It must be your decision, but I think you could be a great asset to them."

"You think I'm ready?" Jerel could hear the uncertainty in Quinn's voice. True, she had made monumental strides in becoming a Jedi, but total confidence in herself was something she still strives for. Probably always would, at least slightly.

"As ready as anyone could be for an assignment such as this. By joining a military squad, you'll need to follow the orders of the commanding officer. You never know what kinds of situations you'll face or what kinds of orders you'll be required to follow. It'd be difficult for any Jedi to be totally ready." Jerel stood and approached Quinn. "As for the possibility you might slip into your old ways, I can't say if you'll be put into a situation which might cause it to happen. Considering the types of missions Havoc is usually assigned to, I think probably will happen. Fortunately, you'll have Captain Jorgan there to help pull you back from the edge. I imagine as you gain trust with the other members of the team, they'll also be able to assist you, if needed. It's a risk only you can decide to take. The Major obviously feels you're up to the task. She wouldn't have requested you by name otherwise."

Quinn once again leaned back in her chair. She had enjoyed her time with Havoc squad, though the mission ended awkwardly. She'd never considered taking a permanent position with the team. Of course, she'd never considered training as a Jedi, either. When she defected, all she was looking to find was peace, but it seemed like the Force was pushing her to do more with her life.

The belief that the Force could rule over what you did with your life was common among Jedi and Sith alike. It was one of the few things they both agreed on. Quinn hadn't put much stock in the concept before, but recent events were starting to make her revise her opinion of the matter.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	27. Chapter 27

New chapter up. Hope you like.

PS: I know nothing about Lightsaber lore. I'm just making stuff up that works for my story from what I've read on the net.

* * *

Quinn stood in the empty cargo hold of Havoc Squad's ship, holding her lightsabers at the ready. Finding time and space to practice her saber techniques had proved difficult since agreeing to join the team. The cargo hold was the only place big enough to swing a lightsaber, though Quinn still needed to be mindful of the walls.

Floating a short distance away on either side of her were two paused remote training probes. It had been awhile since Quinn had used them, since on Tython there was always someone around to spar with, be it a full Jedi or a curious padawan. She had even managed to convinced Master Satele to work with her once. It was by far the most challenging fight she had ever participated in.

She took a steadying breath, reaching out with the Force and activated the remotes. In seconds multiple bolts were sent in her direction, each of which she gracefully deflected with her lightsabers. Quinn closed her eyes and allowed the Force to guide her weapons. After about 20 minutes, the remotes shut off, having not once succeeded in hitting their target.

"Impressive." Aric said, leaning against the doorway. He had walked in somewhere near the middle of the training exercise and he didn't want to interrupt her concentration.

Quinn smiled at him, trying to catch her breath. "Thanks. These remotes are a good workout, though they're not as good as a live person."

Aric walked into the room. "You didn't even hit a wall."

Quinn chuckled. "I was making a special effort not to. Don't think the Major would appreciate me punching a hole into space. This is the only room on this ship where I can effectively practice my saber technique, though I still have to be careful."

"From what I can see, I'd say you're pretty good."

Quinn shrugged. "I'm average at best. Trust me, there are far better melee tacticians out there, both Sith and Jedi. I was always more of a thinker than a fighter, but I can hold my own, if I use Force tricks along with my lightsabers. How far are we from Coruscant?" She asked, deactivating the remotes and placing them in a case.

"Just a few hours. The debriefing shouldn't take very long. After that, we get two days off before we head out on our next mission. At least as of right now. Missions tend to change rapidly with this squad." Aric said.

This would be Quinn's first debriefing as an official member of Havoc squad. The mission had been fairly straightforward, being a simple jailbreak from a undermanned Imperial installation on Balmorra. They had succeeding in freeing 120 republic soldiers, with no injuries. It was almost textbook. There had also been no unusual tremors in the Force.

"Good, I have time to make another attempt to attune my left hand saber to a new configuration. Since the crystal is more powerful in my left side weapon, it's proving to be more difficult to attune to my new place in the Force."

Aric had noticed that Quinn's right hand saber was now a dark yellow-orange color, rather than it's original red. Her left hand saber was still red.

"So, you can change the color of the crystal using the Force?" Aric asked.

"No, not really. The crystals in my lightsabers are both still red, but it's the attunement of the crystals which will determine the overall color of the blade. As a Sith, the crystals were red and they attuned red. I was firmly planted on the dark side of the Force. Now, since my own personal connection to the Force has changed, it only makes sense to adjust my weapons as well."

"I see most Jedi have shades of green or blue." Aric said.

"Yes, green and blue usually show a purity in the Force. I will never be able to attune these sabers to be green or blue, without changing the crystals completely. I spent too much time on the dark side for my own Force signature to make the transition. Yellow seems to be a nice middle ground for my weapons. The right one changed fairly easily, but the left one is being stubborn."

Aric shook his head. "I'm not gonna lie, most of what you just said made very little sense to me."

Quinn chuckled, placing a hand on Aric's shoulder. "That's alright. It's hard to explain Force techniques to a non Force user. You're not alone." She stepped past him into the hall.

Aric turned and followed her out.

"That really doesn't make me feel any better."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	28. Chapter 28

Sorry for the delay. Enjoy.

* * *

Cipher Eight sat in the cockpit of his ship, his feet up on the control panel. He drummed his fingers impatiently as he waited for his fellow agent to make contact.

It had taken several months to find Nommi. He had assumed she'd be on Tython, but there had been no way of confirming his suspicions. The planetary defenses of the Jedi homeworld were damn near impregnable since the failed assault, even for a probe.

After several weeks of surveillance and a few favors called in to determine that a Master Jerel Dorr was serving as Lord Nommi's teacher, the Cipher finally caught a break when a ship registered to the Jedi Master was seen leaving Tython. Again, an assumption was made that Nommi was with her Master and this time, he could confirm it.

Unfortunately, Nommi was still unattainable to him. The agent was not prepared to face a Jedi master and his daughter, who was still a very powerful Sith, regardless of what side she choose to fight on or what she called herself. He was going to have to be more stealthy.

An opportunity arose shortly after a mission the two Jedi had on Taris, but he missed his window by mere seconds, and directly after that, Nommi seemed to temporarily join a special forces team.

If the agent was reluctant to attempt an abduction with a Jedi master present, he was even more reluctant to attempt it with Nommi surrounded by special forces. Not just special forces, either. This was the Republic's top team. He got an odd twinge of pride knowing his daughter, though on the wrong side, was working with special forces.

The agent had tracked his daughter all over hell and creation and was yet to come up with a workable scheme to apprehend her. It seemed she wasn't trusted much by her new allies, since they never left her alone when not on Tython. It was frustrating.

Now Cipher Eight was waiting on confirmation of what he suspected would be yet another significant roadblock to his mission to capture his traitorous daughter.

The panel in front of him began to signal he had a call coming in. Audio only.

"Cipher Eight? This is Fixer Twelve."

"I'm here, Fixer. What news do you have for me?"

"I've confirmed your suspicions. Your target has indeed officially joined Havoc. It's some new initiative between the Jedi and the Military. According to my source, the target is doing quite well in her new station."

"Thanks for your help, Fixer."

"Anytime Cipher, Fixer out."

Cipher Eight growled softly. He wasn't surprised by the news, but it still didn't make him happy. If his daughter was now permanently assigned to Havoc, there would be limited opportunities to capture her. Darth Thanaton would not wait forever for his prize.

The agent ran the scenarios through his head. He was going to have to adapt his plan. If he couldn't get to her, then he'd just have to make her come to him...or Darth Thanaton himself…

* * *

To Be Continued...


	29. Chapter 29

It's been a while but here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

Aric walked slowly through the ship, happy to not be preparing for a mission. This was the first time in nearly a year the team had been given a week long reprieve from active service and he wanted to enjoy it. He wasn't even sure if he knew how to relax anymore, but he was damn sure going to try to remember.

M1-4X, though a member of Havoc, was also still a droid. This meant that it needed regular updates and upgrades, as technology evolved. Instead of ordering Havoc to a mission, minus their droid, General Garza instead ordered the team to take a full week of R&R. It was a rare break and every member of the team was eager to take full advantage of it.

Vik and Yuun had both opted to stay on Coruscant, rather than accompany 4X to Alderaan, where its service was scheduled to be done. Aric had a mind to stay, also, but when he discovered Quinn planned to accompany the rest of the team to Alderaan, he changed his mind.

Aric didn't like to admit it, but he had grown very fond of Quinn. It wasn't entirely because she was a fellow Cathar, though it was part of reason. Mainly it was because Aric had known her mother. For some reason, he felt a connection with his new squadmate he just couldn't explain.

He passed by the galley, finding Quinn sitting at the table, reading a datapad.

"Not leaving the ship?" He asked, entering and taking seat across from the Jedi.

"No, I plan to just stay on the ship for the next week. I don't really like this planet much. I'm not fond of snobbish nobles and they're everywhere here, regardless of what side of the line you walk on."

Aric chuckled. "That is true. If you hate it here so much, why didn't you just stay on Coruscant?"

Quinn shrugged. "I still don't feel overly comfortable on Coruscant. I'm fully on the Republic's side now, but part of me still remains tense when we're there. Maybe someday I'll learn to relax and like the planet, but for now, Alderaan is a lesser of two evils."

Quinn put down her datapad and folded her hands on the table in front of her.

"Did everyone else leave already?" She asked.

Aric nodded. "The Major and the Sergeant escorted 4X to the tech lab, then they were going to spend the week at the Major's estate a few miles from here. They were looking for some alone time. Willow is from Alderaan and she very rarely gets to go home."

"So, they're together." Quinn said. It wasn't a question. She had suspected the connection, but figured asking her CO about her sexual orientation might be a bit too personal for the length of time Quinn had known her.

Aric nodded again. "Yeah, have been for almost two years. They're very good at keeping it secret. It's never affected either of their work. I think it's nice. Being a soldier makes having a personal life difficult."

"I suspected as much. I sensed a certain...familiarity…between them, but I never asked about it. It's not really my business, anyway. So, since they're off doing their thing and 4X is being tinkered with, what are you planning to do with your time?"

Aric leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was just heading up to the Organa's cantina, get a couple of drinks. Like you, I'm not fond of snobbish nobles, either."

"Then I ask you the same question, why didn't you stay on Coruscant? I'm sure you would have had a better time."

Aric was quiet for a minute. He was debating whether to tell her the truth.

Quinn looked at him, confused.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Aric shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. I...I didn't stay on Coruscant, because you weren't."

Quinn stayed quiet. She honestly didn't know what to say. Aric had become a good friend over the months since her assignment to Havoc Squad. When she was with him, she felt almost normal. Like she wasn't a Sith or Jedi, just a person. It was something she hadn't felt since she was a young child, before her time on Korriban. It felt good.

"I'm starting to care a lot about you, Quinn." Aric said, straightening up in his chair, his eyes serious. "I'm a soldier. I've never had any interest in pursuing a relationship with anyone before, but I've never had feelings like I have when I'm around you. I never thought I'd live long enough to find someone like you."

"What are you saying?" Quinn asked.

Aric seemed to get flustered. "I don't know what I'm saying. Forget I mentioned it." He said, beginning to stand.

Quinn reached out and placed a hand on Aric's arm, stopping his motion. "Wait. Why don't we head over to the cantina together. We can talk about it."

Aric seemed to regain his composure, almost as if he'd never lost it. "Sure."

They left the galley in silence, but Quinn's mind was anything but quiet.

She was studying to become a Jedi and the Jedi did not approve of having relationships like the one Aric was tiptoeing around. The Sith had no such restrictions. It was one things Quinn didn't agree with the Jedi about. She didn't understand why forming attachments was considered a bad thing. Yes, she knew having close relationships could compromise judgment.

But only if you let them be compromised...

* * *

To Be Continued...


	30. Chapter 30

Hello all. Thanks for the reviews. Getting reviews makes me what to post more. Here's the next bit. Enjoy.

* * *

The next morning, Quinn woke up relaxed, but also conflicted.

She lifted her head off the chest she was using as a pillow and smiled up at Aric as he lay still asleep. Quinn hadn't left the ship planning to sleep with him, but bottled up emotions can be volatile when allowed to get out in the open, particularly for Cathars. The alcohol didn't help with her judgment, either.

She knew how the Jedi felt about relationships. This would definitely not help the Jedi council's already semi shacky opinion of her, if they found out. She didn't regret anything, though.

"Good Morning." Aric said, his voice still gravelly from sleep.

Quinn, looked up at Aric. At some point after waking she had begun focusing intently at the far wall while she was lost in thought.

"Morning." She replied, positioning herself so she was cuddled up closer to him, her head on his shoulder. Aric wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked.

Quinn chuckled. "Better than I have for months."

"That's good, though it looked like you were having some fairly heavy thoughts before I woke up. Want to share?" Aric asked.

Quinn sighed, allowing her left hand to linger over the fine fur on Aric's chest. It was soft to the touch, much like her own, though in a stunning reddish color. It was a deep contrast to her white.

"Did you know that Jedi aren't allowed to have relationships like this?"

Aric's brow furrowed. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're not allowed to get married or have children. The council says it can cloud their judgment and a Jedi can't be clouded in such a way. We need to be free to make the hard choices. They consider it dangerous to hold the lives of certain individuals over the lives of others."

Aric was silent for only a moment. "Do the Sith have such rules?"

Quinn sighed again. "No. With Sith, this kind of relationship is not only allowed, it's encouraged. Emotional and physical relationships build passion. A great deal of a Sith's power comes from passionate emotions. It's one of a most prominent divisions between the two types of Force users. One group gets power through calm, the other through passion."

Aric released his hold on Quin slightly, so he could turn and face her more fully. His eyes were curious.

"Did you have someone back in the Empire?" He asked.

Quinn shook her head. "No. A few one night stands, here and there, but nothing with any meaning. Mainly humans and the occasional chiss. This is the first time I've been with someone who feels the same as me."

"When you say 'feels', you mean someone with fur." He said.

Quinn's smiled got bigger. It was nice that Aric understood. "Yes." She once again ran her hand up and down Arics chest. "It's nice to touch fur, rather than bare skin. My Cathar side is more dominant than my Chiss side. At least on the outside."

Quinn turned to lay flat on her back and Aric positioned himself so he was looking down at her, his head propped up on his arm. "I know what you mean. I have nothing against other species, but it's nice to be with someone just as furry."

"This isn't exactly how a Jedi should behave." Quinn said.

Aric looked at her seriously. "Well, then it's a good thing you're not a Jedi."

Quinn gave Aric a confused, almost hurt, look.

"Let me finish." Aric said. "You're not a Jedi, but you're not a Sith, either. Think of it this way. A Sith is like a starless night. Pitchblack. A Jedi is like a sunny day with no clouds in the sky. Two extremes, the light and the dark. Now think of a field on a sunny day, with a single tree in the middle of it. A huge tree, giving off all kinds of shade. You are currently living in the shade of that tree. Not in the dark, but not quite stepping out into the full light, either."

Quinn thought about it for a minute and smiled. "I like your analogy. I just wonder if I'll ever step out into the light."

Aric shrugged. "Do you have to?"

Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pondering Aric's question. "I don't know. I was always taught that there was the light side and the dark side, with no middle ground." The morning had taken a very serious turn, but Aric had made a few good points. Did a Force user need to be either Sith or Jedi, Light or Dark, or was it possible to live somewhere inbetween.

"So, I'm guessing we can't let this happen again and we should probably keep this quiet, so certain Jedi don't find out." Aric said. He ran his hand down Quinn's bare left arm. The motion made her shiver.

Quinn opened her eyes and looked into Aric's. "No, I'm actually counting on this happening again, several times, over the next week. And after that, we'll see what happens. It definitely needs to be kept quiet, though."

"Done." Aric gave Quinn a sly grin, rolling so he was hovering over her. "I propose we stay in this position all week."

In one swift motion, Quinn reversed their position, so she was seated on his stomach, looking down at him, pinning his arms over his head. "I kinda like this position, too."

"I can think of several positions you might like." Aric said, growling in a distinctly feline way. He broke his arms free, reached up and grabbed Quinn by the arms and attempted to roll, but the motion landed both of them on the floor. They both laughed.

It was the first time Quinn had heard Aric laugh, without restriction, serious soldier forgotten.

She liked it.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	31. Chapter 31

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Jerel carefully maneuvered his ship next to the lifeless vessel, doing his best not to damage either. He had received a distress call from the unknown ship only an hour after leaving Yavin 4. It wasn't a live signal, just an automated message asking for assistance.

Once the ships were linked and pressurized, he centered himself and prepared to board the ship. Something about this situation was off, though. Something the Jedi master couldn't put his finger on, but he was obligated to check out the other ship, regardless of his feelings.

As he entered the ship, he could sense two lifeforms. They didn't feel sick or injured. If anything, they were too calm for people potentially stranded in the middle of deep space. This worried Jerel, but he pressed on. He had already sent a signal back to Yavin, so the Republic knew he was out here attempting a rescue, but this fact didn't put his mind at ease.

The vessel was dark, having only emergency lighting functioning. Jerel pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it, just to be safe. The glow of the blade helped light his way. He could still sense the lifeforms, so he did his best to follow them. He turned off the main hallway, entering a narrow accessway. He only took two steps when a shiver moved up his spine. It was a warning.

Jerel turned to doubleback, but he moved a second too late. A forcefield went up behind him, then one in front of him.

"Welcome, Jedi Master Jerel Dorr." Said a voice over the ship wide intercom. The voice had a heavy Imperial accent. "And here I thought it would be hard to trap myself a Jedi. Makes me wonder if the tales about a Jedi's superior skills are actually just fiction."

Jerel kept calm. He took his lightsaber and swung it as the wall, intending to cut through the side of the hall, being fairly certain he was nowhere near the outer haul. His lightsaber bounced off the metal leaving only the faintest of marks.

The voice of the intercom laughed. "Go ahead, Jedi, wear yourself out. Have you ever heard of Beskar? Or perhaps Mandalorian Iron? Well, that little cell I have you locked in is made up of the stuff. Fascinating material. Damn near indestructable, even with a lightsaber."

The lights of the ship came back up and two people entered the hallway where Jerel had just entered from. One was a female Rattataki. She was slight, standing at least a good 6 inches shorter than Jerel, but you didn't need to be Force sensitive to feel she was dangerous. Beside her stood a Chiss male, his dark blue skin a striking contrast to his glowing red eyes.

"I hope you realize how much trouble it was to make that cell. I had to call in several favors, since it's extremely hard to convince the Mandalorians to make armor for a non-mandalorian, let alone four full walls of the stuff. Fortunately, Darth Thanaton has a great deal of pull. He can be very persuasive."

The chiss had looked oddly familiar, though it wasn't until he spoke of Darth Thanaton that it clicked in Jerel's mind. "You're Quinn's father."

The Chiss made a snorting like sound. "Quinn. A pathetic name. Appropriate for a traiter." The Chiss approached the forcefield. "So, you're the Jedi responsible for Quindalyn's betrayal. I should probably thank you for showing us her true nature, before she could do too much damage. But still, I expected more, somehow. Maybe I was foolish to think my daughter could exceed the limitations of her mixed heritage."

"He's not all that impressive. I'd blame it on the Jedi." The Rattataki woman said, operating a panel just outside the door. Several small openings formed in the walls to both his left and his right.

"Nighty night, Jedi." The Chiss said. Several darts shot out of the walls. Jerel tried to deflect them as much as possible, but several of them found their mark. Moments later, the Jedi master was down.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	32. Chapter 32

Yay, new chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

Major Deshan sat in the control room of her ship, looking out at the stars. Space travel really was beautiful, when you stopped long enough to appreciate the view. Dorne came in and took a seat at the opposite side of the control console.

"Autopilot working alright, sir?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm just enjoying the view. What's up?"

Dorne shrugged. "Nothing really, just wanted to ask you about Captain Jorgan. Have you noticed he's been different lately? I mean, he's still the same as it pertains to the job, but he seems different since our time off on Alderaan."

Deshan smiled. She knew exactly what Elara was talking about. During off hours, the cathar was more relaxed. He smiled more. He joked around with his squadmates during meals, even laughed. "I have noticed. He's less brooding. Happier. I'm fairly sure it has something to do with the time he spent alone with Quinn."

"You don't think they…" Dorne started.

"I do." Deshan replied before she could finish the thought. "Only love can make a man's personality change the way his has. I can't confirm it, of course. It's not exactly an appropriate question to ask and I really haven't see any difference in Quinn."

"Quinn's a Force user. They keep their emotions so well masked, I'd doubt you'd see any change in her personality." Elara sighed. "And we're being gossips."

The major laughed, reaching across the console to take her girlfriend's hand. She couldn't help listing in her mind all the ways Elara had changed since they had finally admitted how they felt about each other. "Maybe a little. But I think it's a gossip worthy topic. I'm just happy Aric's happy. He was too serious during off hours. It wasn't healthy. We're all soldiers, but we need to remember to be people every once in awhile too."

The console in front of the Major began to beep, indicating an incoming call...

* * *

Quinn sat meditating in her quarters. This was one activity which she found she had abundant time for, considering how much time was spent on the ship, traveling. For the last week, she had been having a bad feeling. It was similar to the feelings she was getting before the Empire attacked Tython, but not quite as intense. Something was wrong, she just couldn't figure out what and it was driving her crazy.

She found herself withdrawing to her chambers, meditating on the feelings. She avoided contact with her squadmates, even Aric, which was starting to raise concerns. She only wished she could explain what she was feeling. Unfortunately, tremors in the Force were hard to explain to non-Force users.

The door chimed and Quinn was almost too deep in her meditative state to hear it.

The door opened and Major Deshan came in, her face an empty mask. Quinn could feel something was wrong.

"Are you alright, Major?" She asked, her own problems forgotten.

"We just received a transmission from the Jedi Council. It appears Master Jerel Dorr is missing."

Quinn stood in one swift motion. "Missing, what do you mean, missing?"

"Apparently, he was on Yavin 4 for a few days and left about a week ago to return to Tython, but he didn't make it back. They found his ship a short ways from Yavin, abandoned. It was undamaged and fully operational, but adrift. He sent a communication to Yavin saying he was investigating a distress call not too far from the planet, but there have been no transmissions of any kind from him since. He's just gone."

Quinn tried her best to keep her heart rate at a normal level, going over calming techniques in her mind. This was the evil the Force had been warning her about. "People don't just disappear. What are we doing to find him?"

" _We_ are doing nothing. The Jedi are working with the SIS to try to ascertain what happened. Until they know more, there's nothing we can do. Regardless of what they find, the council wants you to not get involved. I'm going against their wishes even sharing this information. It just didn't feel right not telling you."

Quinn wanted to get angry, but she knew if she did, the anger would be projected on the Major. The soldier did not deserved it.

"He's my Master! How can I just sit here and do nothing. If anything, I'm the best person to go look for him."

Deshan sighed. "The council doesn't agree. They're afraid you're too close to situation to be objective."

Quinn made a growling sound only Cathars had the correct internal structure to make. It was a sound the Major heard from Jorgan when he was frustrated.

"I promise you, Quinn, if they find him and he needs a rescue, Havoc will be the first team on the ground, regardless of what the council says. We just need to let the SIS do their jobs."

Quinn nodded, understanding. It was nice to know Major Deshan was on her side. Jerel had to be alright. She refused to believe anything else.

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To Be Continued...


	33. Chapter 33

Sorry it's been so long. Been too busy to do much writing. Enjoy!

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It had been a week since Quinn was informed of Master Jerel's disappearance and nothing had been found to point to his whereabouts. She knew he was still alive, feeling positive that she would feel a tremor in the Force if he died. She had felt her apprentice die and Quinn was far closer to Jerel than she had been with Forg.

Quinn had given up all sense of discretion and had started to sleep in Aric's quarters. She no longer cared who knew about the relationship, since the only way she found any peace when she slept was in the Cathar's arms. Though, she wasn't sleeping very much or very well.

It was almost 2AM when the Major called both Quinn and Aric to the main holo projector. She was alone in the room when they entered.

"We just got a holo message for you, Quinn." She said.

"From whom?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know. It has no origin, no time stamp. As far as I can tell, it's completely untraceable, but Yuun is working on it."

The Major hit a button and the holo projector came to life. Standing before them was an oddly familiar male Chiss in an Imperial uniform. Quinn's legs almost went out from under her. Aric caught her before she could fall.

"Hello, my dear Quindalyn. I've been watching your exploits for some time now. I've tried to make contact with you, but you're always so stubbornly surrounded by either Jedi or Republic special forces, it's made it difficult on me. Darth Thanaton wishes a meeting with you. Alone. He's most displeased with you and your recent actions. You know the place. Master Jerel's life depends on it. See you soon."

The message ended.

Aric could feel Quinn's heart beating in her chest as he held her to him, keeping her standing.

"Who was that, Quinn." The Major asked.

The question seemed to pull her out of a dense fog. She took her full weight back and stepped away from Aric, steadying herself.

"That was my father." She said softly. "It all makes sense now. He's the reason the SIS and the Jedi haven't found any trace of Master Jerel. The man's a Cipher for Imperial intelligence. There would be no trace or trail to find. He's one of the Empire's best agents. Someone must have recognized me during the battle on Tython and told Darth Thanaton. He's a member of the dark council and having an apprentice defect would have been like a slap to the face for him. He obviously wants to quietly punish me for my actions against the Empire. He wants me to be truly dead before the dark council learns of my treachery. He called upon my father to find me and, failing to do so, captured Master Jerel, knowing I would follow."

"How can you be sure?' Aric asked.

"Because I know my former master. He's one of the most powerful Sith on the dark council and he would do anything to prevent his powerbase from taking a hit. You honestly don't want to know what he does to defectors. But he has Master Jerel, so I must meet him."

"No, you don't." The Major said. "I will not let one of the people under my command walk into certain death. This isn't a trap, it's suicide."

"I have to, Major. Thanaton will keep Jerel alive for only a short time. He's not a patient man. If I wait too long, he will kill him, painfully. I've witnessed his torture techniques. Hell, I've performed some of his torture techniques. I will not stand by and let Jerel be hurt in such a way. He'll have some resistance using his Force powers, but eventually he'll crack. Everyone does."

Aric walked up to Quinn. "And we just let you go right to him, so he can use those same techniques on you? You can't even know for sure if he'd let Jerel live. He's Sith, he'd be just as likely to kill you both and be done with it."

"I have no choice." Quinn said, sadly.

"Yes you do." Elara said, coming into the room "Sorry for eavesdropping, but I must agree with the Captain. We're the most elite squad in the Republic and you have one of the best strategic minds any of us have ever seen. There has got to be something we can do to get both you and Master Jerel out of there in one piece."

"Where is the meeting place?" The Major asked Quinn.

Quinn sighed and kept quiet for a number of breaths. When she finally spoke, it was little more than a whisper. "Quesh. His stronghold is on the far side of Quesh, days away from any other outpost. Imperial or Republic."

The Major did a quick calculation in her head. "It'll take four or five days to get to Quesh. We have until then to come up with a plan. No arguments, Quinn. You're a part of this squad and we do what we must to watch each other's backs." The Major spoke in a tone which left no room to argue. Quinn wasn't a soldier, but she was a part of Havoc and like hell was the Major going to let her walk into a trap alone.

Quinn nodded, not feeling up to fighting with her CO. She started to think. She started to plan. If she could come up with a plan to take Tython, she could damn well come up with a plan to save Jerel. His life and the lives of herself and her team depended on it.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	34. Chapter 34

Next chapter up. I love in the interactions with Aric, so here's more of it. Enjoy! Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those who take a few minutes to review.

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It had been two days and Aric hadn't heard or seen Quinn in all that time. As far as he could tell, she wasn't eating or sleeping much. This worried him. He loved Quinn. Loved her more than he ever thought possible to love another person. Aric wanted to talk to her, tell her how he felt and let her know she wasn't alone. The only problem was he couldn't seem to find her.

Aric was starting to get frustrated when he finally found her sitting alone in the cargo bay, her back against the far wall. She had her eyes closed and one of the remote devices she used to train was floating in front of her. The remote sent a energy bolt directly at her and she deflected the bolt with her hand.

"I didn't know you Jedi could do that?" He said, taking a seat next to her. She didn't move away, but didn't open her eyes, either.

"Not everyone can. Only the most powerful can stop energy blasts or lightsabers with the Force alone. It takes practice. Some, like myself, have a talent for it." She shrugged. "I don't practice the technique very often. Using a lightsaber is easier."

"I know it's a stupid question to ask, but are you doing alright? I've missed you over the last two days."

Quinn opened her eyes and looked over at Aric. She couldn't help the smile which spread across her face. She loved Aric. He was one of the best things in her life and it pained her to be leading him into the situation with Thanaton and her father. Aric returned her smile and for a moment she believed everything would be alright.

"I'm sorry to worry you. Coming up with a plan of attack for Thanaton's complex has been even more complicated than I thought it would be. We really don't have very many options and none of the options we do have are very good. I've come up with a very straight forward plan, but it's not a good plan, and none of you are going to like it."

Aric crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."

"The plan is, I go in alone… Let me finish…" Quinn said, noticing Aric was about to object to her going into the complex alone, like she knew he would. "Anyway, I go in alone and engage Thanaton. While I do my best to keep him busy, Havoc infiltrates the complex as loudly as possible. Thanaton knows I'm assigned to Havoc, so he'll have a few troops in the place, but he's always been very secretive of this facility. He wouldn't want too many soldiers knowing about it. This is his secret stronghold and he honestly doesn't like the Imperial military much. The plan is for me to hold him off long enough for the team to get in, locate Jerel and get him out. With any luck, he'll be physically able to assist me, once he's free."

"And if he's not able, the team will come to your aid. We may not be Force users, but outnumbered is outnumbered, even to a Sith. It's an interesting plan, but I only have one question."

"Only one?" Quinn asked jokingly.

Aric chuckled. "We'll need to hash out the particulars before we land, but you know what I mean." Quinn had already given the team a rough map of the complex, along with a list of strengths and weaknesses. She was also fairly confident she knew where her old master would be holding her current master.

Quinn nodded.

"Will you be able to handle your old master? Can you match him long enough for us to get in and do our job?"

"I've been thinking about that too. Thanaton is a windbag. I'm sure he'll have all kinds of things to say before any actual fighting occurs. I plan to keep him talking, but once he senses Jerel free, he'll attack. As a Jedi, I have no chance. Even as a Sith a could only stand toe to toe with him for a couple of minutes in a fight."

Aric frowned at her. "Well, that's not good. How do you plan to give us the time we need? You do plan to make it out of there alive, right?"

Quinn turn away from Aric, closing her eyes. "Do you remember the analogy you used to describe my place in the Force? The one where I'm in the shade of a large tree on a sunny day?

Aric nodded, but kept quiet, allowing her to explain.

"Well, I've been thinking about that too and I've come to realize that I'm neither Jedi nor Sith. You were absolutely right. I'm weaker when I try to push myself out into the sun and when I try to slink back into the darkness. If I stop trying to be something I'm not and allow the Force to guide me, Light and Dark, I think I can hold my own against my old master, maybe even defeat him. At the very least, I can hold him off long enough for assistance to get to me."

"What about your father?" Aric asked.

In one fluid motion, Quinn popped up to her feet and started to pace, suddenly more worried than she had been. "He's the wildcard in the deal. He could be anywhere, doing anything. I know he'll be there, but his part in it I can't predict. I hate to say it, but I get my strategic mind from him, I think. He's a planner, a schemer. And he's deadly. He might be with Thanaton or he might try to intercept you. Hell, he could be anywhere."

"Well, I really don't like the plan…" Aric said.

"As I said you wouldn't." Quinn said quietly under her breath.

"But, I don't think we have much choice. There is no good plan. At least not in the time we're given. There are astronomical risks for all of us, but we're Havoc squad. If anyone can pull this off, it's us." Aric got to his feet, pulling Quinn into a hug. She didn't fight him. If anything, it seemed to calm her.

"Don't worry. We'll get this done." Aric said.

Quinn relaxed in his arms. "I love your optimism."

Aric pulled away just enough so he could look into her eyes. "I love you."

Quinn placed a hand on his cheek and leaned her forehead against his. "I love you, too."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	35. Chapter 35

Next chapter up. Enjoy!

* * *

Quinn sighed deeply, her breath sounding mechnical through her breathing apparatice. The walk to Thanaton's compound was fairly short from where they had landed, so the mask was probably unnecessary, but she wasn't taking any chances with her strength by breathing the toxic air, considering she'd need to be at top form for her plan to work.

The compound looked exactly as Quinn remembered it, with its thick, windowless walls and coloring to camouflage the entire building. The place was almost invisible from above. If she hadn't known where it was, they probably would have missed it during the flyby.

Quinn reached out with her mind and she could sense her master. He was still alive, but his mind wasn't responding to her probe, which meant he was unconscious or in some other way incapacitated. She could only hope his time in the compound wouldn't yield permanent damage. Thanaton wasn't gentle to his prisoners. She prayed she wasn't too late to save her master. Being alive was one thing, being functional was something entirely different.

Quinn could also sense her team behind her, hidden away. The plan was for them to wait ten minutes after she got into the building, then make their assault. Fortunately, they didn't need to be stealthy, since the Sith would know the squad wouldn't be far behind her. Quinn was confident they could handle anything which awaited them in the compound, she only wished she was as confident about her part of the plan.

She reached what was the closest thing the place had to a front door and waited. She could sense her old master, so no doubt, he could sense her just as strongly. It wouldn't take long for her to be collected. Sure enough, only moments later, the door opened and two of Thanaton's apprentices appeared. Quinn centered herself as she allowed them to escort her inside.

 **XXX**

"She's in. Start the clock." Major Deshan said, looking over at Jorgan. The entire team sat hunkered down, anticipating their assault. Vik had already placed charges along the side of the building where a secret side exit was located. This exit was supposed to be know to Thanaton only, but Quinn had discovered it by accident during her tenure with the dark lord and she had never let her knowledge slip to her master. Or at least, that was the hope.

The stronghold itself was relatively unguarded, mainly because the outer walls were made of some of the strongest materials known. The Sith was so confident in his power, he didn't even have external sensors around the place, or at least that was what Quinn said. Fortunately, the hidden door was much less indestructible, particularly with the explosive used by Vik.

The Major remained silent. There was no need to talk. There was nothing left to say. Her team knew the plan. They had memorized the schematic Quinn had provided for Thanaton's compound and everyone knew where they were going. They could only hope Master Jerel was being held in one of the places Quinn suspected. There was no point in worrying about it now, though. There was no going back, not with a member of the team already inside.

Deshan looked at Jorgan, happy with what she saw. She had initially been worried he'd be distracted having Quinn going in alone, but his worry had only lasted for a few seconds. She should have known better than to question Jorgan's resolve. He was a soldier, first and foremost. Even his concern for Quinn wouldn't distract him from his job. Besides, he was confident their former Sith could take care of herself.

All they could do now was wait.

 **XXX**

The inside of the compound looked exactly the same as it had the last time Quinn was there as Thanaton's apprentice.

Perfect.

A great deal of Quinn's plan was counting on the fact that Thanaton still had a superiority complex which included a compulsion to never change anything. The Sith rarely felt the need to change his security or tactics, believing there was no need to change perfection. With any luck, he still saw her as a pathetic fly and wouldn't have bothered to make many preparations for her arrival.

The two younger Stih remained silent as they escorted her to Thanaton's throne room. The corridors looked empty, but Quinn was sure most of the soldiers onsite were probably being focused around Master Jerel, waiting to cutdown Havoc during their rescue attempt. She wasn't worried about her squad. The six members of Havoc could handle anything thrown at them. She was even more confident, since she could now sense only a few dozen soldiers in the stronghold.

They arrived at the main audience chamber to find Thanaton seated on the main stage. He looked as arrogant as ever, smiling almost gleefully as they approached.

The first thought Quinn had was to run through Jedi calming techniques, but she stopped herself. She didn't want to be calm. She needed to have faith in the Force to put her in the state of mind she needed to be in to succeed against her former master. It was putting a great deal of faith in the Force, but if she had any hope of succeeding, she had to give up control.

"Ah, welcome home my dear apprentice." Thanaton said, standing and taking a few steps. "You have been a very bad girl. Your poor judgment is very disappointing."

Quinn walked right up to him, only leaving a two foot distance between them.

For several moments, no other words were said. Quinn needed to draw this out as long as she could. The timing was even more critical, since she noticed they weren't alone in the room. The apprentices had left, but Quinn's father stood beside the Sith, emotionless. She had hoped her father would have been elsewhere before any fighting happened. She was going to have a hard enough time with Thanaton alone. She didn't need her father there to worry about, too.

"What, no reply? No pleading for your master's life? No threats? No, 'this doesn't have to end in violence', speech you Jedi are so very fond of?"

He paused again, but Quinn remained silent. He looked to her father, then back at her, laughing evilly.

"I had hoped to see just how weak and pathetic you had truly become, considering how weak and pathetic you were as a Sith. Your mind has always been your only true weapon and now even that has been tainted by Jedi logic. I can feel your weakness, like a disease. A cancer."

Quinn scoffed. "Why would I waste my time with those things. You didn't capture my Jedi master to get me here with the intention of letting him go once you had me. I may be weak and pathetic, but I'm not stupid and neither are you."

Thanaton turned his back to her, returning to seat. "This is true. You're relying on your team, your Havoc squad, to rescue your master. I know about them and they will fail. Even now, my soldiers are closing in on them. Clever, them using my secret exit to gain access, but it will not save them. They will die."

"They will live or they will die. I cannot help the outcome, therefore, it is none of my concern." Quinn said calmly, almost coldly. She hadn't even tried to sound calm, the words merely came out that way. She could feel the Force pulsing through her. Not Light, but also not Dark. It was simply the Force. It felt like an incredible power at her fingertips, not hindered by logic, restraint or emotion.

"Now that's not very Jedi of you." The Sith said, not moving his eyes off her. "You know, I could have your father simply shoot you and be done with it. I shouldn't even waste my time with someone such as yourself."

"You could try, but you know quite well my only real talent as a Sith. I wouldn't even need to draw my lightsaber for the bolt to miss its mark. Besides, if you wanted me simply dead, you'd have killed me at the front door. You want me to suffer for all the humiliation I caused you. I, and I alone, am the reason the plan to take Tython failed." She took a few steps closer to him, allowing her anger to show. "You've probably tried to keep that information away from the other members of the dark council, but they know the truth. They can sense your weakness. They know how a pathetic, half breed, alien mongrel crushed the plan into dust. They know that mongrel was your apprentice."

The smile left Thanaton's face and Quinn felt a certain sense of accomplishment for managing it. She needed him angry. Not just angry, seething. Though anger helped fuel the darkside of the Force, it also caused instability. It was the price a Sith paid for the power.

"You shall suffer, like no other has suffered." He said, shooting a bolt of lightning at Quinn.

Anticipating the move, she rolled out of the way, igniting her weapons at the same time. The exchange between them had to have taken almost twenty minutes. Quinn could only hope it would be enough time, though for some odd reason, she wasn't worried.

Thanaton stood, igniting his own weapon.

This was the moment of truth...

* * *

To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think so far...


	36. Chapter 36

New chapter up. Yay!

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The plan to gain access to the compound by blowing a hole in the side of the building worked like a charm. They didn't even find any enemy combatants until they were well into the compound.

Havoc squad found heavier and heavier resistance the closer they got to the chamber Quinn guessed would contain the captive Jedi master. Fortunately, though heavy, the soldiers weren't overwhelming. The squad had little difficulty cutting down the forty or so soldiers, using 4X's new and improved armoring to deflect most of the heavy fire.

Once outside the chamber, 4X, Vik and Yuun took up positions outside the door, while the others rushed in, covering all directions. The chamber was obviously meant for interrogations, judging by all the tools scattered about used for information gathering. Some were electronic and others looked more like old fashioned torture devices.

There were only two people in the chamber. One was a slight man wearing an Imperial officer's uniform. He seemed to be controlling a device connected to the second person, Master Jerel. He was strapped to a table, which was inclined to the point where he was almost in a standing position, though he didn't' look conscious. The officer turned sharply, pointing a blaster. Jorgan took a shot and hit him in the hand, disarming the man. He yelped, clutching the injury to his chest and taking several steps back.

Deshan and Jorgan pulled him away from the control panel and the unconscious Jedi, allowing Dorne to step in.

"You're too late. The Jedi's mind has been scrambled beyond repair. It was fun watching him scream."

"Elara?' Deshan asked.

"Unfortunately, he's not lying, Sir. This machine is used to extract information from a person's brain. A side effect is the person is pretty much left an empty shell."

Jorgan sighed. "So, we're too late."

"Maybe not." Elara said, still working the controls of the machine. "The amount of damage done is directly related to the amount of information extracted. According to these reading, they were unable to extract anything from Master Jerel. Something was blocking their efforts."

"Well, he is a Jedi. Do you think it's possible he was able to protect himself?" Deshan asked.

"I won't dare to guess, Sir. I know far too little about Force users. I've learned a great deal from Quinn, but in this area, I'm totally blind. If we can get him back to the ship, I'll be able to actually determine if there is any real damage to this brain."

The officer began to laugh, almost a cackle. "You'll never leave here alive. Particularly you, traitor." He pointed at Elara. "Once my Lord is finished with the other traitor, you'll all be strapped to tables like the Jedi. Darth Thanaton hates traitors. I look forward to see what dirty secrets are locked away in your brains."

"That's enough out of you." Jorgan grumbled, hitting the Imperial on the head with the butt of his gun. He fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Thank you Captain." Deshan said.

"A pleasure, Sir. What's the plan." He replied.

"We take Master Jerel with us, we find Quinn, help her dispose of Thanaton, or at the very least incapacitate him, long enough for us to get the hell outta here. We'll take out the compound from the air. Dorne, download anything useful from the machine. With any luck, Quinn can help with Jerel."

Jorgan and Dorne got the Jedi unstrapped and carried him out to the hall, which had been completely quiet since they arrived.

"Vik, take the Jedi. You, Dorne and Yunn get him back to the ship and get it ready. The rest of us will go collect our Force user and meet you there. Get all weapons charged. I plan to make a crater out of this compound." Deshan ordered.

Vik chuckled. "Got it boss. Sounds like fun."

The three headed back the way they came, while 4X, the Major and Captain Jorgan headed deeper into the compound. They had a faint idea where they were going, since Quinn was most likely in the main chamber with Thanaton. It wasn't hard to find, once they began hearing the distinctive sounds of two people battling with lightsabers.

The sound made them hurry just a little faster. Quinn was still alive, but for how long?

Jorgan gritted his teeth and trudged on. Hold on, Quinn, backup's on its way.

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To Be Continued...


	37. Chapter 37

Sorry for the delay. New chapter up. Enjoy.

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The battle between Master and Apprentice had lasted longer than either participant thought possible.

Quinn's strategy was working. She didn't think about what she was doing, just simply letting her body and the Force do what needed to be done. She didn't think about what moves she shouldn't be using and those she should, she just moved. She just fought. At this moment she was neither Sith nor Jedi and the effort was doing exactly what she had hoped it would do; confuse the dark lord and amplify her own natural skills.

Unfortunately, Thanaton was still a powerful Sith and all she was able to really do was hold her own. Every offensive strike was countered, but none of his strikes hit their mark, either. It was a stalemate. The longer the fight lasted, the more the fight would skew in the Sith's favor and Quinn knew it.

Thanaton laughed, stepping back to size up his opponent once again. "You've improved and you have far more spirit. You would do well back by my side. The Jedi will never accept you. Not fully. You've tasted the power of the dark side for too long to truly step into the light."

Quinn scoffed. "You've attempted to kill me on more than one occasion and you had my own mother executed in front of me. Regardless of where I actually land in my life, be it Sith or Jedi, my place will never again be by your side."

Quinn felt a slight tremor from her father and it distracted her. She didn't have time to worry about it, for Thanaton sensed her momentary distraction and sent a strong wave of Force energy in her direction. She moved out of the way, but wasn't fast enough and took some of the hit square in the chest. It knocked the wind out of her momentarily and she heard a slight crack.

Seeing Quinn was injured, the dark lord attempted to capitalize, charging to make a killing blow with his lightsaber, but Quinn recovered too quickly and ignored the pain, managing a grazing blow to his left knee. He crumbled to the ground and Quinn was able to disarm him.

She clutched her side as she stood above the defeated man. He was on his knees, but Quinn could tell the fight had taken a toll on her, too. She stood only by sheer force of will and little else.

"This is the part where you offer to spare my life, in return for my surrender. No doubt, you think with time I can be turned to the light." He spat at her, his eyes almost glowing red.

Quinn nodded, hearing blaster fire and lightsabers behind the door. Moments later, Major Deshan, Captain Jorgan and M1-4X came in. She didn't need to turn around to know it was them. She knew Aric's place in the Force almost better than her own.

"Yes, A Jedi would do those things. They don't take the lives of unarmed men." Quinn leaned in closer, so only he could hear her. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not a Jedi."

For the first time, Quinn saw genuine fear in the Sith's eyes.

"Cipher! Shoot her!" He yelled.

During the entire fight, Cipher Eight hadn't moved a muscle.

"Sorry, Sith. You ordered me to bring Quindalyn to you. You said nothing about fighting her." He said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. His glowing red eyes glared at the Sith. You didn't need to be a Force user to see the anger in them.

Thanaton looked over at Quinn. "I'll see you in hell."

Quinn laughed. "I look forward to it."

She plunged both her lightsabers into this chest, sliding them both several inches down before pulling them out. The Sith's eyes widened momentarily, then relaxed as he crumbled to the ground dead.

Quinn's squadmates just witnessed her kill an unarmed man at her mercy, but she doubted they'd care. She didn't turn to them, just closed down her weapons and approached her father.

"I was never told the truth about what happened to your mother." He said. His voice was sad and quiet, but still held an edge of anger.

Quinn looked deeply at him, with both her eyes and the Force.

"You loved her." She said.

Cipher Eight nodded. "I did, regardless of our differences. My profession forced me to keep the pretense of master and servant, but I did love her."

A sense of peace ran through Quinn. She had been created out of love and for some reason, that information made all the difference.

Jorgan cleared his throat. "So, what are we doing with him?" he asked, gesturing to the Chiss.

Quinn continued to look at her father. "He's earned his freedom. You should leave. Now. I have a feeling this compound won't be here much longer."

Cipher Eight nodded. "Our paths will cross again."

Quinn smiled. "I think they will."

With a small smile, the Cipher turned and slipped out. Kalyo had been listening in and was currently powering up the ship. He planned to be gone before his daughter and her companions could even make it back to their ship. Father and daugher parted ways, but Cipher Eight have a feeling they would meet again. Only time would tell if it was as friends or enemies.

With a sigh, Quinn turned and joined her squad. She was still clutching her wounded side, but she felt stronger now than she had been when she first entered the chamber.

"You alright?" The Major asked.

"Not really." She said honestly. "But I think I will be. Master Jerel?"

The Major frowned. "Alive, but unconscious. He was tortured with some kind of mind reading device. We're not sure how much of his mind is still intact. Elara is working on him back on the ship, but she's not sure if there will be anything of his mind left to save."

The adrenaline Quinn had been running on was wearing off and she began cringe in pain.

"Let's get back to the ship and turn this compound into a dusty crater." Jorgan said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder, supporting Quinn with one arm and pulled out his side blaster with his right hand. Quinn didn't fight the help.

They hurried out, Quinn's nightmare over, but her Master might have paid the ultimate price for his padawan's revenge.

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To Be Continued...


	38. Chapter 38

New Chapter up...enjoy. We're getting to the home stretch with this one.

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Havoc squad's ship entered lightspeed and Major Deshan allowed herself to relax. Their mission was complete, but she wasn't sure if they could truly call in a success. Yes, they rescued Master Jerel and a member of the Dark Council was dead, so technically they succeeded, but if the Jedi master's mind could not be salvaged, then the mission would still be a failure in the Major's book.

With a deep sigh, she headed to the medbay. Elara sat in a chair in the far corner, watching the two Jedi. Master Jerel was as unresponsive as when they rescued him. Quinn stood next to her master, her hand on his chest. She was standing perfectly still and she was glowing slightly.

"Any luck?' The major asked quietly, taking a seat next to the medic.

"I don't think so, but it's hard to say. She's been standing there, unmoving, for over two hours. Her freshly healed ribs must be hurting her, but I don't want to disturb her by offering her a chair."

Deshan hated seeing her girlfriend like this. Elara was one of the best medics in the Republic and this situation had to be killing her. None of the squad was very good at waiting for things to happen. It was one of the things that made them the best.

Slowly, the glow around Quinn began to fade and she removed her hand from her master's chest. She seemed to stumble slightly, catching herself on the medical table.

Elara rushed over with a chair, helping Quinn to sit. "What happened?"

Quinn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I just exhausted myself, that's all. I just need a minute."

Deshan stood and joined them. "Anything?'

"Master Jerel is in some kind of Force trance. His mind is intact, but there's a wall around it. Powerful Force users can actually use the Force as a shield to physically or mentally protect themselves from harm. He must have known what was coming and did this to protect his mind. Unfortunately, it also means I have no way of connecting with him to let him know he's safe."

"How long can he stay like this?" Elara asked.

"I have no idea. The council might know more. They might even know a technique to get through to him. As far as I can tell, he either can't hear me or won't hear me." Quinn replied sadly.

"What do you mean, won't hear you?" Deshan asked. "Do you mean he's ignoring you?"

"Not exactly. It's hard to explain. My presence in the Force is different since I fought Thanaton. I might not feel like a Jedi anymore. He might not recognize me or recognize that he's safe now. Either way, I just don't have the strength to continue trying. The fight took a lot out of me."

Elara scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not to mention you had two broken ribs and some minor internal bleeding. You should be in your quarters, resting. If Jerel is still in there somewhere, he's safe and I can sustain his body almost indefinitely. You need to go rest. You can continued trying to reach him after some sleep."

During the medical lecture, the Major had slipped over to a control panel.

"I can't give up." Quinn protested. "I can't rest knowing he's in there and still fighting a fight he doesn't need to fight anymore. I have to reach him."

"You're being stubborn. You and Captain Jorgan are a perfectly matched pair!" Elara said, throwing her arms into the air. "It's a miracle you've lived this long."

The medbay was silent for several minutes. The Major stepped away from the control panel and waited. She didn't need to wait very long.

"You're not giving up, you'll just try again once you're physically able." Jorgan said, coming into the medbay. The Major had called him in to take Quinn to rest. The Force user might fight them, but Deshan had a feeling she wouldn't fight Aric.

"You're deeply worried about Jerel, but you're also beyond exhausted and wounded. Even healed, your body needs time to recover. Go with Jorgan and get some rest. Doctor's orders." Elara said firmly.

"Don't force me to make that on order." The Major added.

Sensing she wasn't going to win and not wanted to be physically removed by Aric, because he would carry her out if need be, the fight left Quinn. Jorgan helped her to stand and they both left the medbay.

"Nice thinking getting Jorgan to come get her. She's not doing herself or Master Jerel any favors by killing herself." Elara said. "Though, you could call it cheating."

The Major shrugged. "Sometimes you have to play dirty. And speaking of getting some rest, you need to follow your own advice. You've been working since we got back to the ship. I can watch over things here for a few hours."

"But…"

"I can make it an order for you, too." The Major threatened lightly. It made both of them laugh.

"Really throwing your weight around today, aren't you, Willow." Elara commented. She very rarely got to call her girlfriend by her first name. It still felt odd.

"The burden of command." The Major replied.

"Very well." Elara placed a gentle hand on the Major's face, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Let me know if there is any change."

"You know I will."

Elara left and the Major pulled a seat to the computer terminal. What she really wanted to do was join Elara for a nap. Holding her would have been perfect to end a day like they had just had, but she had a report to write for the Jedi council. She had already sent word of their rescue of Master Jerel, but she planned to send a more thorough report, once she had time to write one. Now was as good a time as any.

Ah, the burdens of command.

* * *

To Be Continued...


End file.
